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The Holy Night. 
From a painting hy Miiller. 



BIBLE STORIES 
^i^niLDHEN 

ijrSARAHEDAWES 




THE LiLRARYOF 
CONGRESS. 


T\fy>o Copies 


Received 


JUN 24 


1903 


Q^ Copyright 
CLASS OC 


Entry 

-/^ 03 
X)taNo. 


L r s 
. COPY 


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-55 



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CoFTsiGriTj 190B, 

Bf THOMAS Y. OROWELL & CO. 

Published September, 1903. 



PREFACE 

In preparing these Bible stories for young 
readers, it has been the aim of the author to 
give them as simply as possible, without note 
or comment. There has been no attempt at 
criticism and no explanation of events narrated 
other than the Bible gives. This has seemed 
the wisest course to pursue in writing for chil- 
dren these oldest of stories. They have the 
effect, however, of being ever new, and whether 
read or listened to by the young, often prove 
of absorbing interest. 

It goes without saying, that no education 
ought to be considered complete without a 
knowledge of the incidents recorded and the 
characters described in this oldest of books. 
That such knowledge is lacking among the 
students of the present day has been proved 
to be a lamentable fact. If these stories shall 



iv PREFACE 

interest young readers and so fix their atten- 
tion as to give them an intelligent knowledge 
of the scenes and characters of the Old Testa- 
ment, and of the sublime teachings of Jesus 
and his apostles in the New, the work of the 
author will not have been in vain. 

S. E. D. 



CONTENTS 



The Story of the Flood . 

Faithful Abraham 

The Story of Jacob and Esau 

Joseph and his Brethren . 

The Story of Moses . 

Joshua, the Brave Soldier 

Samson and the Philistines 

The Story of Ruth 

Samuel, the First Prophet 

The Story of David . 

King Solomon the Wise 

Elijah and Elisha 

Queen Esther 

The Story of Job 

Daniel and his Three Friends 

The Birth and Childhood of Jesus 

The Story of John the Baptist 

V 



1 

16 

32 

47 

65 

84 

99 

112 

123 

138 

157 

169 

189 

206 

218 

240 

251 



VI 



CONTENTS 



How Jesus taught his Disciples 
The Wonderful Works of Jesus 
The Betrayal and Trial of Jesus . 
The Death and Resurrection of Jesus 
The Story of Simon Peter 
The Apostle Paul .... 
John, the Beloved Disciple 



PAGE 

. 261 

. 275 

. 293 

. 309 

. 322 

. 338 

. 357 



BIBLE STORIES 



THE STORY OF THE FLOOD 

There was once a great storm of rain that 
covered the earth with a flood; first the fields 
and valleys were covered, and then the high 
hills, and last of all the mountains. 

All the nations who have lived since have 
some story of this flood. Even the savage 
tribes in far-away lands have their stories of 
how the earth Avas once covered with water. 

There is an old Chaldean story about a man 
who once built a vessel in which he was saved 
from drowning ; and in the vessel with him 
were many different animals and birds. 

Another singular story is told of a battle 
between the sea and the earth. In this fight 
the sea wins the day, and the earth is covered 
by the water. 

There is also a Phrygian story of a man 
named Enos who foresaw that there was to 
come a great rain; and it is said that he 
wept and prayed for his people, because of 
the terrible flood that was coming upon them. 

1 



2 BIBLE STORIES 

A curious medal has been found that tells 
about this flood, and upon it is a picture of a 
square-shaped vessel. This is floating upon 
the water, and has the picture of a man and 
woman standing within it. There are two 
birds in the picture ; one of them is perched 
on top of the vessel and the other is flying 
toward it, with a branch in his mouth. 

From the Bible we have our story of the 
Flood, and it is one of the most interesting 
which we find in the sacred Book. 

But before learning about that, we will see 
what the Bible tells us about the people who 
lived before the Flood came. 

When God created Adam and Eve, who were 
our first parents, he gave them their home in 
a beautiful garden. There were all kinds of 
lovely flowers in bloom, and delicious fruits 
grew upon the trees. God told them they 
might eat the fruit of every tree in the garden 
but one, and that they were not to touch. 

They obeyed God for a while, and lived a 
happy life in the garden; but one day while 
Eve was walking there a serpent spoke to her. 
He asked her if she could eat the fruit of every 
tree in the garden; and she told him no, she 
could not, for God had said they must not eat 
of the tree of life, neither must they touch it. 



THE STORY OF THE FLOOD 6 

lest they die. Then the serpent told her not to 
mind what God had said to them, for they could 
eat the fruit of the tree if they wished, and it 
would do them no harm. Eve believed the ser- 
pent, and the fruit looked so tempting that she 
took some, and afterward gave some to Adam. 

Both of them had disobeyed God, and now 
they were unhappy, and afraid to meet him as 
they used to in the old happy days. The Bible 
tells us that when they heard the voice of God 
in the garden they hid themselves. 

God spoke to them, and asked them where 
they were, and, ashamed and guilty, they came 
out of their hiding-place. 

When God asked Adam about his wrong- 
doing, he said that Eve was to blame, for it was 
she who gave him the fruit. And Eve said it 
was the serpent who tempted her to do wrong. 
Both wanted to lay the blame of their sin upon 
some one else, and it was a sad ending to their 
pleasant life in the garden, for God told them 
they could no longer have a home there. They 
must go out into the world and work for their 
living now, and instead of the garden yielding 
nothing but beautiful fruits and flowers, there 
would be thorns and thistles, and they would 
find that, because of their sin, everything would 
be different for them in the world. 



4 BIBLE STORIES 

So they went out of their garden home, and 
their hearts must have been full of sorrow. 

By and by sons and daughters were born to 
them, and the names of their two sons were Cain 
and Abel. Cain was a farmer and worked in 
the fields, but Abel was a shepherd. One day 
each brought an offering to the Lord. Abel 
gave his in the right spirit, and it was accepted, 
but the Bible tells us that God had no respect 
unto Cain and his offering. So he went about 
with a sullen look upon his face, for his heart 
was full of hate against Abel. 

Not long after as they were together in the 
field we are told that "Cain rose up against 
Abel his brother and slew him," and when God 
called out to him, " Where is Abel thy brother? " 
he said : " I know not. Am I my brother's 
keeper ? " 

But God had seen the wicked deed, and the 
earth was now stained with Abel's blood. Cain 
had taken the life of another, and that one his 
own brother, and God told him that because he 
had done this, he must always be a wanderer 
upon the earth. Every man would shun him, 
for he was a wicked murderer ; so it is not any 
wonder that Cain cried out, " My punishment is 
greater than I can bear." 

A mark was put upon him, and every one 



THE STORY OF THE FLOOD 5 

knew that he was the man who had killed his 
brother. 

All we hear of Cain after this was, that he 
went far away into the land of Nod, and there 
built a city. 

After long j^ears had passed away there came 
to be a great many people upon the earth, and 
they lived to be hundreds of years old. One 
man in those early days was so good that he 
was said to have "walked with God." This 
man's name was Enoch, and when he was three 
hundred and sixty-five years old God took him 
to heaven. 

Most of the people, though, who lived at 
that time were so bad that God was sorry he 
had ever made them. He saw that the wicked- 
ness of man was great on the earth. People 
did all sorts of dreadful things, and the earth 
was "filled with violence." The Bible says, 
" It repented the Lord that he had made man 
upon the earth, and it grieved him at his 
heart." And so the Lord said that he would 
" destroy man whom he had made," and with 
him he would destroy all the beasts, and the 
creeping things, and also the fowls. 

But among all these wicked people there was 
one who with his family was good and true. 
This was Noah, who " found grace in the eyes 



b BIBLE STORIES 

of the Lord." This man must be saved and 
kept alive, as he was the only good person left. 

So God told Noah to build a great boat which 
should be called an ark. He told him to build 
it of gopher wood, and make it large, with a 
great many rooms in it. This gopher wood was 
obtained from the cypress tree, and it was so 
hard and strong that it would last a great many 
years. After the planks were put together, 
Noah was told to cover them with pitch both 
inside and outside. This would make the boat 
so tight that no water could get in. It was to 
be three stories high, and a window made in it 
to give light. Then a strong door was to be 
built in the side of the ark. 

Noah could make no mistake in his work, for 
God told him just how large to make this great 
boat. As we measure distance now, it was to 
be five hundred and twenty-five feet long, about 
eighty-seven feet broad, and fifty-two feet high. 
This was larger than any great ship of war that 
sails the ocean to-day. 

After giving Noah the plan of this ark, God 
told him what it was for. A dreadful thing 
was going to happen. God said, " Behold I, 
even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the 
earth to destroy the earth, . . . and everything 
that is in the earth shall die." 



THE STORY OF THE FLOOD 7 

But God told Noah that he would save him, 
and his wife, his three sons, and their wives, 
eight persons in all ; that all of them should 
come into this ark and no harm should come 
to them. 

Noah believed all that God had told him, and 
began at once to build the ark. People must 
have wondered to see this great boat being put 
together; but when Noah told them why he was 
building it, and of the great rain that was com- 
ing, none of them believed it. No doubt they 
thought he was a silly old man to make himself 
all that trouble for nothing. It took him a long 
time, a hundred and twenty years, to finish it. 

At length, when it was all done, Noah had 
another great work to do, for God had told him 
that he wanted some of every beast and bird 
and creeping thing to be kept alive. So Noah 
took seven of some kinds of animals, and two of 
other kinds, and the same of birds. These he 
caused to go into the ark, into the rooms he had 
made for them there. 

Sometimes animals and birds of the air seem 
to know when there is a storm coming, or any 
great danger. Perhaps it was so at this time, 
.and all these living creatures came of their own 
accord to find shelter in the ark. Indeed, God 
said to Noah, "two of every bird shall come 



8 BIBLE STORIES 

unto thee to keep them alive." And Noah took 
plenty of food for his own family and for all the 
animals and birds. It must have taken him a 
long time to gather all this, and store it safely 
for their use. 

When everything was ready, God told Noah 
to enter the ark himself with all his family. 
Noah made haste to obey this command, and 
as soon as they were all safely there, the Lord 
shut him in. Noah was then a very old man, 
for he had already lived six hundred years. 

It was seven days after the door of the ark 
was shut before it began to rain ; and perhaps 
the wicked people were laughing at Noah all 
this time. They certainly did not believe any 
dreadful thing was going to happen to the 
earth. The sun was shining as bright as ever, 
and everything was going on just as it had been 
ever since they could remember. Why should 
they fear something that was never likely to 
happen ? The Bible tells us that these foolish 
people went on eating and drinking, and having 
a merry time, even to the very day that Noah 
went into the ark. 

At last the dreadful storm came. " The foun- 
tains of the great deep were broken up," and 
the "windows of heaven were opened." This 
terrible storm of rain came pouring from the sky 



THE STOKY OF THE FLOOD 9 

for forty days and forty nights, and we may 
be quite sure that the poor drowning people 
laughed no more at the great boat. They 
climbed first the little hills, and then the moun- 
tains, to escape the flood, and as they did so, 
they must have wished that they, too, might 
have a safe home in the ark. 

As the waters gathered, the huge boat was 
lifted from the ground upon which it was built ; 
and away it floated, with Noah and all the liv- 
ing creatures in it, over the great world of water ; 
By and by the tops of the highest mountains 
were covered, and not a living creature could be 
seen anywhere, for all had been drowned in the 
flood. 

The ark floated about over the water a hun- 
dred and fifty days. But God had not forgot- 
ten Noah. Now that the rain had ceased the 
water began, little by little, to grow less deep, 
and one day Noah found that the tops of the 
mountains were beginning to show. What a 
glad sight it must have been to them all ! 
Then Noah opened the window of the ark, and 
sent forth a raven. The bird flew away, and 
milst have found at last some place where it 
could stay, for it never came back to its old 
home. Noah afterward sent forth a dove, but 
she found no place for her feet, so the poor 



10 



BIBLE STORIES 



little thing was glad to fly back again to her 
shelter in the ark. Noah could see from the 
window, that the water was getting less deep 
every day, so he waited seven days, and then 
sent out the dove again. How anxious they all 
were to see what would happen ! Would they 
ever see the dove again ? Oh, yes ! for when 
evening came, the dove flew back to Noah with 
an olive-leaf in her mouth, and they all wel- 
comed her with joy, for now they knew that 
the flood had gone, and trees were growing 
again. 

What a wonderful change there had been in 
a week! There was a green carpet of grass 
again on the earth, and trees were waving in^ 
the gentle breeze, and flowers were springing 
up everywhere. , The clouds had rolled away, 
the black clouds that had hung so long over 
the earth, and the blue sky was above, and the 
bright sun shining once more. It was a new 
and beautiful world, and the dove never left it 
to go back to the ark. They all missed the 
timid little creature, but were glad that she 
had found a better home. 

Noah wanted to be sure that all was right,' so 
he waited many weeks longer before taking off 
the covering of the ark. The earth appeared 
dry, but he waited still longer. The last time 



THE STORY OF THE FLOOD 11 

he looked out, lo ! the water had all gone, and 
the earth was dry again. How fair it was, so 
fresh and beautiful in the glad sunshine ! 

One day, not long after, God told Noah that 
he might leave the ark. He had lived there for 
many months, and now he would be glad to 
find another home. He had been shut in with 
animals, both wild and tame, and it must have 
seemed to him sometimes like a prison. 

The new, fresh earth had become a fit place 
for man's home again. The beasts and the birds 
and all the creeping things could find new homes, 
too, and plenty of food would grow for them all. 

While the waters were going away, the ark 
floated about among the mountain tops, and 
they must have looked like the islands that we 
see in the ocean to-day. At last the ark rested 
upon the mountains of Ararat. These moun- 
tains are in the land of Armenia, but we can 
never know upon which one of them the ark 
rested. The people of that country have chosen 
one, and each language has a different name for 
it. They think it is the right one, and so they 
call it Noah's mountain. It was from this place, 
wherever it was, that Noah was told to leave the 
ark, with all his family. 

How full of joy they must have been as they 
stepped out upon the earth again ! If there 



12 BIBLE STOKIES 

were any little children in the family, how they 
must have shouted with glee to find room enough 
to run and play in once more ! The animals, too, 
shared their joy. They all knew how to express 
their happiness, and we may be sure that every 
living thing showed its gladness in some way. 

Noah was so glad and grateful that he felt he 
must perform an act of worship to God, and so 
the first thing he did was to build an altar, and 
offer a sacrifice upon it. He knew it was his 
first duty to thank God, who had thus kindly 
cared for him. God was pleased with this act 
of Noah as he looked lovingly down upon the 
good people whom he had saved. And he gave 
Noah a gracious promise. He said that he^ 
would nevermore bring a flood upon the earth, 
but while the world stood there should always 
be " seed-time and harvest " ; that there would 
be "cold and heat, and summer and winter, and 
day and night should not cease." 

And God gave Noah a sign that he would 
always keep his promise. He told him that he 
would place a rainbow in the sky, and people 
would see this many-colored arch after there 
had been a storm of rain. Then they would 
know that God had rem.embered his promise, 
and that soon the storm would clear away, and 
the sun shine again as brightly as ever. 




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THE STORY OF THE FLOOD 13 

At times in every country in the world the 
rainbow is seen in the cloud. Not a summer 
passes that this lovely arch, with its seven 
beautiful colors, is not seen somewhere in the 
sky. It is the sign of hope and love that God 
has graciously given his children. 

The names of Noah's three sons were Shem, 
Ham, and Japheth. These men with their fam- 
ilies went forth out of the ark to make them- 
selves a home once more upon the earth. Their 
families grew so large that in time they spread 
over many lands. At first they all wanted to 
live near each other, and soon they became a 
very great people and all spoke one language. 
They settled at last upon a wide plain in the 
land of Shinar. This was a rich country in 
Asia, lying between two great rivers, and w^as 
afterwards known as Chaldea. The people all 
liked this place so much that they wanted always 
to make it their home. So they planned to build 
a strong tower, "that would reach up to heaven." 
By doing this they hoped to become famous, and 
get a great name on the earth. 

There was plenty of material for making 
brick all about them, and they could use the 
slime that was so abundant for mortar. So 
they worked hard and began to build the tower 
they had planned. But one day a strange thing 



14 BIBLE STORIES 

happened. The people came together to begin 
their work, as on other days, but something was 
the matter. They soon found that each one was 
speaking a different language, and they could 
not understand each other at all. For this 
cause the building of the high tower had to be 
given up. 

This was God's plan to scatter them abroad, 
for he wished people to live in all parts of the 
earth, and not herd together in one place. 

The descendants of Shem, the eldest son of 
Noah, are supposed to have settled in Asia. 
The languages spoken there are called Semitic 
from his name. Japheth's descendants went 
at first to live on the shores of the Mediterra- 
nean Sea. From there they spread over all the 
country which is now called Europe. Some of 
this family made their homes upon the many 
islands of the sea. 

Ham was Noah's youngest son, and his people 
went to live in Africa, where the black races 
have their home. The African people are often 
spoken of as the sons of Ham. The country of 
Egypt, where Joseph lived, and where Pharaoh 
was king, is called the land of Ham. 

Noah lived three hundred years after the flood. 
What wonderful things he must have seen in all 
that long time ! His great grandson, Nimrod, is 



THE STORY OF THE FLOOD 15 

spoken of in the Bible as a mighty hunter before 
the Lord. He became at length ruler over a 
kingdom in the very land of Shinar where they 
once began to build that lofty tower. 

Noah planted a vineyard himself, and began 
to till the ground. It is said that one village 
only was ever known to be built on the sides of 
the mountain of Ararat, and this, some people 
think, was the spot where Noah planted his 
vineyard. If this be true, perhaps he may not 
have gone far away from the country where he 
left the ark. 

He lived to be almost as old as Methusaleh, 
for the Bible tells us he was nine hundred and 
fifty years old when he died. He was a good 
man, and pleased God in his life, and we think 
of him as the one man in all the earth who, 
with his family, was saved from the Flood. 



FAITHFUL ABRAHAM 

In Ur of the Chaldees, far away in the East, 
there once lived a man who at first was called 
Abram. 

The people of this land were worshippers of 
the sun. They saw this fiery orb rise every 
morning in the east, and in its journey toward 
the west it always brought them light and heat. 
It not only made the earth beautiful with trees^ 
and flowers, but it caused their food to grow. 
These people knew of nothing so great and 
powerful as this blazing sun. So they came to 
worship it as their preserver, and, for aught 
they knew, as their creator. 

By and by Abram took Sarah, his wife, and, 
with Terah and his nephew Lot, he went to live 
in Haran. 

Abram, although brought up with these sun- 
worshippers, must have heard in some way of 
the true God. One day, while living with his 
kindred in Haran, he received a command which 
he knew was God's voice in his heart. It said, 
'' Get thee out of thy country, and from' thy 

16 



FAITHFUL ABRAHAM 17 

kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a 
land which I will show thee." 

No doubt Abram was much astonished to 
hear this, and then the words that followed 
must have seemed to him almost too good to be 
true. The Bible tells us that God said to him, 
" I will make of thee a great nation, and I will 
bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou 
shalt be a blessing. ... In thee shall all the 
families of the earth be blessed." 

Abram believed that it was indeed God's 
voice that had spoken to him. So without 
w^aiting to know the reason of this strange 
command and of these wondrous promises, he 
set about getting ready for his journey. He 
was told to go to the land of Canaan, a rich 
and beautiful country. The people who lived 
there were rude and warlike, and they wor- 
shipped idol gods. But Abram simply obeyed 
God, and, with his wife and his kinsman. Lot, 
went to this strange new home. 

The Bible tells us that Abram was seventy- 
five years old when he took that journey. We 
should call him an old man in our days, but no 
doubt he seemed almost young then. People 
in Abram's time lived to be very old. Some of 
them saw many more than a hundred years. 
So at seventy-five he was hardly more than 



18 BIBLE STORIES 

middle-aged. He took with him his flocks and 
settled first in Shechem. There we are told 
that God appeared unto Abram again, and once 
more promised to give him all this goodly land. 
Abram wished to show his gratitude, and so 
built an altar upon which to offer a sacrifice. 
This was the way people worshipped God in 
those early days. 

The next place to which he came was Bethel, 
and there again he built an altar. Afterward 
he journeyed to the south, and in every place 
he went he pitched his tent. The people in 
those eastern lands who dwelt outside of walled 
cities lived in tents. These were made mostly 
of skins, stretched upon poles set in the ground, 
and were easily moved from place to place. 

Although the land of Canaan was usually 
fruitful, and bore large crops of food, there 
sometimes came a famine. For months no rain 
would fall, and the earth would become so 
parched and dry that nothing would grow. Not 
long after Abram made his home in Canaan, 
there was a grievous famine in the land. So 
Abram and his wife went down to Egypt, where 
there was plenty of food. This land has a won- 
derful river called the Nile. The water of this 
river overflows its banks once every year. For 
three months it covers the meadows with water. 



FAITHFUL ABRAHAM 19 

Seed sown upon this water quickly springs up 
in the soft earth, and when the water dries away 
it bears a plentiful harvest. 

Abram made his home in this land of plenty, 
until he heard there was no longer a lack of food 
in Canaan. Then he took his wife, and his 
kinsman Lot and his family, and went back 
there to live. They both had great possessions, 
and Abram was said to be a rich man. He had 
treasures of silver and gold, and was rich in 
flocks of sheep and goats, and in great herds of 
cattle. 

On his journey from Egypt he went toward 
the south, and came to Bethel, the very place 
where he had once built an altar. 

Lot was almost as rich in flocks and herds' as 
his uncle Abram. They spread over a large 
part of the land, and it took a great quantity of 
food for all these animals. There soon began 
to be trouble and strife between the men who 
tended the flocks of Abram and Lot. There 
wasn't room enough for both, so they quarrelled 
with each other. 

Abram was sorry to hear of this strife, and 
w^anted to do all he possibly could to make peace. 
He told Lot that, as the land was not able to 
give food for both of their flocks, he would go 
away to some other place. Surely they ought 



20 BIBLE STORIES 

to live in peace, for they were of the same 
family. " Let there be no strife, I pray thee," 
said Abram, ''between me and thee, and be- 
tween my herdmen and thy herdmen, for we 
be brethren." 

Abram meant all these kind words, for he 
offered to give Lot his choice of all the country. 
After Lot was suited, Abram said he was willing 
to take whatever land was left. 

So they agreed to separate, and Lot chose the 
rich lands in the valley of the Jordan. Abram 
was left in the land of Canaan, but Lot " pitched 
his tent toward Sodom." This was a sad choice, 
for Sodom was a very wicked city. After Lot 
had left him, Abram went to live in Hebron. 

Lot had rather a hard time among the people 
of Sodom. Some fierce kings attacked the city, 
and seized him as a captive and carried off his 
goods. One of the men who escaped went and 
told Abram what had happened. As soon as 
Abram heard of this trouble, he armed three hun- 
dred and eighteen of his servants and hastened 
to rescue Lot. They were all trained men and 
Abram was a brave leader, so before long he 
overtook the enemy that had captured Lot, 
whom he rescued and brought back, with all 
his family and his goods. Abram was con- 
sidered a great man after this, and the fierce 



FAITHFUL ABRAHAM 21 

kings of the region were glad to go out and 
meet him and do him honor. 

God assured him again that all this country 
should be his ; that his children should dwell 
there, and it should be their land. In fact, God 
promised to make of Abram a great nation. He 
would grant- him a long and useful life, for he 
was told, " Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace ; 
thou shalt be buried in a good old age." 

God made a covenant with his servant Abram, 
and he trusted in it fully. He believed God's 
promise that he should be the father of many 
nations. Because of this great honor that was 
coming to him, God changed his name to Abra- 
ham. The meaning of this word was, "the 
father of many " ; so, ever after, this good man 
was called Abraham. He wondered how these 
great promises could be his, for as yet no child 
had been given him. 

One day while sitting in his tent door Abra- 
ham looked up and saw three men coming. He 
ran out to bid them welcome, and bowed down 
before them. He gave them a kind greeting 
and said to them, "Let a little water, I pray 
you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest your- 
selves under the tree." They gladly accepted 
this offer to rest in the shade, and bathe, for 
their feet were soiled with the dust of travel. 



22 BIBLE STORIES 

People in that country wore low sandals bound 
upon their feet instead of shoes. So it was the 
proper thing as soon as guests arrived to offer 
them water for the washing of their feet. 

When Abraham had served his guests in this 
way, he said, ''I will fetch a morsel of bread, 
and comfort ye your hearts : after -that ye shall 
pass on." Then he went quickly to the tent of 
Sarah, his wife, to tell her of the arrival of the 
strangers. He asked her to '' make ready three 
measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes 
upon the hearth." While Sarah was doing this, 
Abraham ran to the herd of cattle, and selected 
a calf which he thought would be tender and 
good. This he gave to one of his servants to 
prepare for cooking. 

These three men who had come to him so 
unexpectedly were strangers, but he treated 
them as kindly as though they had been old 
friends. Abraham spread the feast, when it 
was ready, under the shade of the tree, and 
stood by his guests while they were eating. 

Before the men went on their way, they told 
Abraham that in due time he should have a 
son of his own ; that Sarah should become the 
happy mother of a living child. She had so 
longed for a son whom she might love and 
cherish. When she heard from her tent door 



FAITHFUL ABRAHAM 23 

that at last she would have her wish, her heart 
was filled with joy. She could hardly believe 
the gracious words that Abraham would become 
a great and mighty nation, and that she would 
become the mother even of kings. 

When the three guests rose up from the feast 
to go away, they went in the direction of Sodom. 
Abraham went a part of the way with them, 
and then he was told that God would destroy 
the city of Sodom and its wicked neighbor, 
Gomorrah. He was sad at heart as he saw the 
men depart on their way to Sodom where his 
nephew lived. But God was merciful and gra- 
cious ; perhaps he would hear his prayer for the 
wicked city. 

So Abraham asked God, if fifty good people 
were found in Sodom, if he would spare it for 
their sake. When he was told that it would 
be spared for fifty's sake, he grew more bold in 
asking. At last he ventured to ask if God 
would spare the city, if only ten good people 
were found there. God assured him that he 
would spare Sodom for even that small number. 
But there were not even ten in all that great 
city who were fit to live. There were Lot and 
his family only who were servants of God. 
This great and good Being never deserts his 
people, for "none of them that trust in him 



24 BIBLE STORIES 

shall be desolate." So God sent two angels to 
warn Lot of what was coming. He invited his 
angel guests into his house, and gave them food, 
and asked them to stay with him all night. But 
the men of Sodom treated these guests of Lot 
very badly. They even tried to break into the 
house that they might do them harm. At length 
the angels smote them all with blindness, and 
they were obliged to go away without carrying 
out their wicked plans. 

Then the angels told Lot that there was no 
time to lose ; God would soon destroy the city. 
He must get all his family together, and fly 
from the place as soon as possible. 

When Lot told his sons-in-law of what was to 
happen, they thought he was mocking them, 
and refused to believe him. Then the angels 
told Lot to hasten and take his wife and his two 
daughters, and fly for their lives. But they 
lingered so long before they were ready to start 
that at last the angels had to take them by the 
hand and hurry them away. As soon as they 
were outside of the city, the angels said to Lot : 
" Escape for thy life ; look not behind thee, 
neither stay thou in all the plain. Escape to 
the mountain, lest thou be consumed." But 
Lot would rather not go to the mountain, so he 
asked if he might tarry in the little city of Zoar. 



FAITHFUL ABRAHAM 25 

His wish was granted, and he entered the place 
just as the sun was rising. But Lot's wife was 
not with them. She had disobeyed the command 
not to look back, and she was turned into a 
pillar of salt. 

One day there was great rejoicing in the tent 
of Abraham and Sarah. Their long-promised 
son had at last been given them, and their hearts 
were glad. We do not wonder that they gave 
him the name of Isaac, which means Laughter. 
How carefully they watched and tended the 
baby ! When he was weaned a great feast was 
made, for nothing seemed too good for this son of 
their old age. Isaac grew up to be a fine young 
man and his father had great delight in him. 

But one day Abraham's joy in his son was 
turned into great sorrow. God's voice, the voice 
which he always obeyed, he again heard. The 
voice called, ^' Abraham " ; and he answered, 
" Behold, here am I." Then there came to him 
this strange command : " Take now thy son, 
thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get 
thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there 
for a burnt offering, upon one of the mountains 
which I will tell thee of." His only son Isaac, 
ivhom he so dearly loved, how could he offer 
him up as a sacrifice ! It was the son that God 
promised he would give him, the son through 



26 BIBLE STORIES 

whom great blessings were to come to the world. 
What could it mean? These thoughts must 
have passed through Abraham's mind, but still 
he would obey God, even though he was told to 
slay his son. 

So one morning he rose up early and saddled 
his ass, for he was to take a long journey. Pie 
took with him his son Isaac and two of his 
servants. He was to offer up a burnt offering, 
so they carried with them the wood with which 
to build the fire. They travelled three days 
before they came in sight of the place where 
God told Abraham to go. Here he left the ass 
with the servants, and went on with Isaac alone. 
The bundle of wood he was to use in the burnt 
offering he gave to Isaac to carry, wliile he took 
the fire and the knife. As they w^alked along 
together Isaac said to his father, " Behold the 
fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a 
burnt offering ? " This was a hard question to 
ask the poor father, but^ he replied cheerfully, 
'' My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a 
burnt offering." So they walked along together 
until they came to the place of which God had 
told Abraham. There he built an altar, and 
after placing the wood upon it, he bound Isaac 
and laid him upon it. Abraham even grasped 
the knife, and stretched it forth to kill his son. 



FAITHFUL ABRAHAM 27 

Just then a voice called to him out of heaven, 
" Abraham ! Abraham I " He answered as before, 
'' Here am I." '' Lay not thine hand upon the 
lad," said the voice, " neither do thou anything 
unto him. For now I know that thou fearest 
God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine 
only son, from me." How Abraham's heart must 
have leaped for joy as he heard these words ! 

But surely he ought to offer a sacrifice to 
God, now more than ever. Just then Abraham 
turned and saw a ram that had been caught in 
the thicket behind him. Truly, God had in- 
deed provided a sacrifice, and Abraham offered 
this ram for a burnt offering instead of his son. 
The name of this place was called, from that 
time, " Jehovah-jireh," which means, " The Lord 
will provide." A great sorrow had been taken 
from Abraham's heart, and the father and son 
must have had a pleasant homeward journey. 

Sarah was spared many years after this. 
When she died she had reached the age of a 
hundred and twenty-seven years. Abraham 
had come to the land a stranger, and so he had 
no burial-place for his family. It was the cus- 
tom in those daj^s to bury the dead in rocky 
tombs, in the natural caves of the country. 
Abraham liked the cave of Machpelah so much 
that he wished to buy it of the owners. The 



28 BIBLE STORIES 

children of Heth, to whom it belonged, told 
Abraham at first that he might have it free of 
charge. When Abraham objected to this, the 
person with whom he was dealing replied; 
" Nay, my lord, hear me : the field give I thee ; 
in the presence of the sons of my people, give 
I it thee. Bury thy dead." But Abraham was 
too wise to accept so large a gift. He paid four 
hundred shekels of silver for the field contain- 
ing the cave. With loving care he laid Sarah 
to rest there. She had been the wife of his 
youth, and they had lived many long years to- 
gether. Now his heart was sad that he should 
see her face no more. 

When Isaac had become a young man, Abra- 
ham, who was growing to be very old, wished 
to see him settled in life. If he was to be a 
blessing to the world and serve God faithfully, 
he must begin in the right way. It would be 
unwise for Isaac to take a wife from the heathen 
families about him. So Abraham called his 
eldest servant, the one to whom he trusted all 
his affairs. He made this servant swear that he 
would go to Abraham's kindred, and there find 
a wife for his son Isaac. 

The servant started on his journey, taking with 
him two camels. These animals were probably 
laden with many precious things for the young 



FAITHFUL ABRAHAM 29 

woman whom the servant hoped to find. At 
last he reached Mesopotamia, and found the city 
where Nahor, Abraham's relative, lived. 

In that country the daughters of the people 
were in the habit of driving their father's flocks 
and giving them water from the well. Abra- 
ham's servant knew of this custom, so he led his 
camels to one of these wells. While waiting 
there he prayed that God would guide him, and 
he said : " O Lord God of my master Abraham, 
I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and 
show kindness unto my master, Abraham. Be- 
hold, I stand here by the well of water : and the 
daughters of the city come out to draw water. 
And let it come to pass that the damsel to whom 
I shall say. Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, 
that I may drink ; and she shall say. Drink, and 
I will give thy camels also; let this same be she 
that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac." 

The servant had hardly done speaking when 
Rebekah appeared with the flock of her father, 
Nahor. This fair young girl tripped down to 
the well, and there she met Abraham's servant. 
He ran toward her saying, " Let me, I pray 
thee, drink a little water from thy pitcher." 
As soon as she was asked to do this, she ran to 
the well and drew a pitcher of fresh water. She 
not only gave the stranger a drink, but said to 



30 BIBLE STOBIES 

him, " I will draw water for thy camels also." 
These Avere the very words that the servant 
hoped she would say. Surely she must be the 
young woman for whom he was seeking. When 
she told him who her father was, he knew that 
he need look no farther for a wife for his mas- 
ter Isaac. Rebekah asked the servant to her 
father's house, and there he gave her many 
beautiful presents which his master had sent her. 

Abraham's servant was given a glad welcome, 
and refreshing food was set before him. But 
he refused to eat any of it until he had told 
them his errand. He said he had been sent by 
his master Abraham to ask that Rebekah might 
return with him, and become the wife of Isaac.^ 
The father and mother of the maiden were well 
pleased with this plan, and they said to their 
guest, '' Behold, Rebekah is before thee ; take 
her and go, and let her be thy master's son's 
wife, as the Lord hath spoken." After this 
they ate and drank, and, no doubt, had a merry 
time at the feast. 

When morning came, the servant was in 
haste to return to his master. Her friends 
would have liked to keep Rebekah with them 
a few days longer, but at last they agreed to 
call her and let her decide which she would 
do. So when Rebekah answered their call, they 



FAITHFUL ABRAHAM 31 

asked her, " Wilt thou go with this man ? " 
And she said, "I will go." 

The servant was glad to hear this, and they 
soon started upon their camels for their long 
journey. Isaac, of course, was anxious for their 
old and trusted servant to arrive. At last one 
evening, as he was taking a walk in the fields, 
he spied the camels coming. When Rebekah 
saw this young man in the distance, she got off 
from her camel. The custom of the country 
would not allow her to approach him with her 
face uncovered, so she hastily put on her veil. 
The servant told Isaac the story of his journey, 
and led him to the young woman whom he had 
brought. Isaac was so pleased with her that 
he led her directly into the tent of his mother, 
Sarah, and she became his wife. 

Abraham lived to see his grandchildren grow 
up about him, and when he knew that he must 
die, he gave all that he possessed to his son 
Isaac. He died at the age of an hundred and 
seventy-five years, and was buried by the side 
of Sarah in the cave of Machpelah. 

The Bible speaks of him as having " died in 
a good old age ; an old man and full of years." 
He became indeed the father of a great nation, 
and was so faithful and true as to be called the 
"friend of God." 



THE STORY OF JACOB AND ESAU 

The hearts of Isaac and Rebekah were made 
glad by the birth of two little sons. These 
twin brothers were very unlike each other. 
The skin of the elder was rough and hairy, 
and they named him Esau. But the skin of 
the other was smooth and fair, and he was 
given the name of Jacob. This word meant a 
supplanter, one who takes something from an- 
other unfairly. We shall see by and by how 
well this name fitted Jacob. 

They grew up to be fine sturdy boys. The 
Bible tells us that Esau was a cunning hunter. 
He loved to roam over the fields and hunt 
game for the use of the family. Jacob cared 
more for the home life of the tent, and was his 
mother's favorite son. Isaac was fond of the 
venison that Esau brought so often from the 
hunt, and he seemed to love this roving son 
better than Jacob. 

One day when these brothers had grown to 
be men, Jacob gathered some lentils from the 
field. These were a sort of pea, and from them 

32 



THE STORY OF JACOB AND ESAU 33 

he made a dish of red pottage or soup. Pres- 
ently Esau came in from the hunt feeling faint 
and hungry, and this pottage smelled so good 
that he eagerly asked Jacob to give him a por- 
tion. His scheming brother thought this a 
good time to get away Esau's birthright. 

In the country where they lived, the eldest 
son had certain rights which belonged to him 
only. Esau was just a little older than his 
brother, and so owned what was called the 
birthright. Jacob wanted this so much that 
he was willing to do a very wrong thing in 
order to possess it. He told Esau that he 
might have the pottage he asked for if he 
would sell him his birthright for it. Esau was 
so hungry that he readily agreed to do this, and 
said, "Behold, I am at the point to die, and 
what profit shall the birthright do me ? " So 
the bargain was made. Esau foolishly sold his 
birthright, and Jacob gave for it one meal only 
of bread and pottage. The Bible says of Esau, 
'' He did eat and drink and rose up and went 
his way ; thus Esau despised " — that is, thought 
little of — "his birthright." 

Isaac said to his elder son one day, " Behold 
aiow I am old and know not the day of my death." 
Fathers were expected in those days to bestow 
some special blessing upon tlie eldest son before 



34 BIBLE STOKIES 

their death. So Isaac told Esau to take his 
bow and arrow, and go out into the field, and 
bring home some venison. The old father liked 
the way in which his son prepared that meat, 
and he told him, if now he would make it nice 
and savory, he would give him the blessing. 
Esau went quickly out to hunt for the deer that 
was to furnish his father's favorite food. 

Rebekah had overheard the words that had 
passed between Esau and his father. Although 
her elder son was dear to her, she loved Jacob 
the better. She wanted him to have his father's 
blessing instead of Esau. So she told Jacob to 
run out to the herd as quickly as he could, and 
bring her two young kids, and of these she 
would make, savory meat for his father. The 
eyes of the old man were dim, and if the food 
tasted good he would believe it was the venison 
which he loved, and would give the blessing to 
Jacob. 

But Jacob said to his mother : '-' Esau is a hairy 
man, and my skin is smooth. If my father 
should happen to put out his hand and feel of 
me, he would be sure I was not Esau, and 
knowing I had deceived him, would give me a 
curse instead of a blessing." But Rebekah, his 
mother, was so anxious that Jacob should receive 
the blessing, that she told him if he would 



THE STORY OF JACOB AND ESAU - 35 

obey her in this thing, she would bear all the 
blame. 

After she had cooked the food, and every- 
thing was ready, Rebekah brought some of 
Esau's garments, and made Jacob put them 
on. Then she put some of the kid's hair on 
his hands and on the smooth part of his neck, 
and told him to go in and carry his father 
the food. 

When he entered the old man's presence, he 
called out, " My father I " His father answered 
him and said, " Here am I ; who art thou, my 
son?" Jacob replied: "I am Esau, thy first- 
born. I have done according as thou badest 
me. Arise, I pray thee, and eat of my venison, 
that thy soul may bless me." 

Isaac was surprised that Esau had been so 
successful in hunting the deer. He said to him, 
" How is it thou hast found it so quickly, my 
son?" 

Jacob replied, '' The Lord thy God brought , 
it to me." How he must have trembled when 
his father then said, " Come near, I pray thee, 
that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be 
my very son Esau or not." 

As Isaac passed his hands over his son's and 
found they were hairy, he seemed puzzled. 
" The voice," he said, '' is Jacob's voice, but 



36 . BIBLE STORIES 

the hands are the hands of Esau." Then at 
last the poor deceived old father, thinking 
everything was right, gave Jacob the blessing. 

Isaac had hardly finished speaking, and Jacob 
had but just gone out, when Esau came in. He 
had returned from the hunt and had prepared 
his father's venison, and now said to him in 
almost the same words as Jacob, '' Let my father 
arise and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul 
may bless me." In a startled voice Isaac cried 
out, "Who art thou?" Esau gave the same 
reply that Jacob did, " I am thy son, thy first- 
born, Esau." When he heard these words, the 
Bible tells us that Isaac trembled very exceed- 
ingly. He cried out : " Who ? where is he that 
hath taken venison and brought it to me ? and I 
have eaten of all before thou camestfand have 
blessed him. Yea, and he shall be blessed." 

When Esau heard this he cried out with an 
exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, 
" Bless me, even me also, O my father ! " 

Isaac sadly replied, " Thy brother came with 
subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing." 
We cannot wonder that Esau in his great sor- 
row should exclaim, " Is he not rightly named 
Jacob?" That word meant, as we know, to 
take the place of another, to get something 
away unfairly ! 



THE STORY OF JACOB AND ESAU 37 

" Twice he hath done this," Esau said ; " he 
took away my birthright and now he hath taken 
away my blessing." 

The son who felt he had been so wronged 
could not bear to lose all. He said to Isaac : 
" Hast thou but one blessing, my father ? Bless 
me, even me also, O my father ! " Esau wept 
as he thus pleaded with his father. 

Isaac did have a blessing for this son, and 
comforted his heart by telling him that he 
would not always have to serve his brother. 
But Esau couldn't forget how badly he had 
been treated by Jacob. His hate for him grew 
more bitter as time went on, and he planned in 
his heart sometime to kill him. 

Rebekah was troubled at the ill-feeling be- 
tween her sons, and when some one told her of 
what Esau meant to do, she was much alarmed. 
She sent for Jacob and told him what she had 
heard. Then she bade him to go as quickly as 
he could to his uncle Laban, who lived in Haran. 
^He could stay there in safety for a short time, 
or until Esau's anger had passed away. Then 
she would send for him to return home. 

Isaac gave Jacob a parting blessing when he 
went away. He told him not to take a wife 
from any of the heathen families around, but 
one from his own kindred. 



38 



BIBLE STORIES 



So Jacob went away from his home in Beer- 
sheba, and travelled all day towards Haran. 
When the sun had gone down, he looked about 
for a good place in which to sleep. Having 
found a comfortable spot, he made himself a 
rude bed, with a stone only for a pillow, and 
laid him down to rest. While there he had 
a most beautiful and wonderful dream. He 
thought there was a ladder set up on the earth, 
which was so tall that it reached to heaven. 
And as he looked the angels of God seemed to 
be passing up and down upon the ladder. He 
dreamed that the Lord himself stood near by 
and spoke to him. The voice said, " I am the . 
Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and the God 
of Isaac. The land whereon thou liest, to thee 
will I give it, and to thy seed." 

He gave Jacob many other precious promises, 
and said, " I am with thee, and will keep thee in 
all places whither thou goest." 

When Jacob awoke and thought over his 
wonderful dream, he cried out, "Surely the. 
Lord is in this place, and I knew it not." He 
was afraid and said, " How dreadful is this 
place; this is none other but the house of God, 
and this is the gate of heaven ! " 

The next morning, Jacob took the stone he 
had used for a pillow, and pouring oil upon it. 



THE STORY OF JACOB AND ESAU 39 

set it up as a kind of mark. He named the 
place Bethel, which means the House of God. 

Then Jacob made a solemn promise. He said 
if God would be with him, and keep him on his 
journey ; if he would give him bread to eat and 
clothes to wear, and bring him back to his 
father's house in peace, then the Lord should be 
his God. He ulso promised to give to the Lord 
a tenth part of all the wealth he gained. After 
this he went forward on his journey, and came 
at last to the country where his kindred lived. 

Pretty soon he entered a field where there 
were three flocks of sheep. In the middle of the 
field there was a well of water, and the thirsty 
sheep were gathered about it. Soon the men 
who were tending them came and rolled a great 
stone away from the opening of the well, and 
watered the flocks. Jacob went up to these 
men, and said to them, " My brethren, whence 
be ye?" 

When they replied that they were from Haran, 
he asked them if they knew a man by the name 
of Laban, who was the son of Nahor. " We 
know him," they said ; and when Jacob asked if 
he was well, they answered, '' He is well, and 
behold Rachel, his daughter, cometh with the 
sheep." 

And so it happened that while he was talking 



40 BIBLE STORIES 

with the men Rachel appeared, leading her 
father's flocks. Jacob was pleased when he saw 
her, and so glad to meet one of his mother's 
kindred that he ran to the well and rolled away 
the stone for her. 

It was not until Jacob had helped Rachel to 
water the flock that he told her who he was; 
that Rebekah, his mother, was h6r father's own 
sister. 

This was indeed wonderful news, and Rachel 
ran as fast as she could to tell her father. 
When Laban heard that his sister's son had 
come, he hastened to greet him. It was the 
fashion of the country to do this in a very 
hearty manner. So Laban folded Jacob in his 
arms and kissed him, and then led him joyfully 
to his home. 

'^ Surely," he said to his nephew, " thou art my 
bone and my flesh," and Laban gave him such a 
hearty welcome, that Jacob stayed a month at 
his home. In fact, he liked the place so well, 
and was so happy with his mother's kindred, 
that he decided to stay with his uncle a long 
time. He had grown very fond of his cousin 
Rachel, whom he first met by the well. 

When Laban asked Jacob what wages he 
should give him if he stayed and helped in tend- 
ing the flocks, he replied, '' I will serve seven 



ii 



THE STORY OF JACOB AND ESAU 41 

years for Rachel thy youngest daughter." 
Laban agreed to this, and said to Jacob, " It is 
better that I give her to thee than to another 
man." 

Because of his love for Rachel, the Bible tells 
us that Jacob's seven years of service seemed 
to him but a few days. When the time for the 
wedding came, Laban made a feast, and invited 
many guests to the marriage. But he deceived 
Jacob by giving him Leah his eldest daughter 
instead of Rachel. 

Jacob did not find this out until after the 
marriage, for Leah was covered with the long, 
thick veil which brides in that country always 
wore, and no one could see her face. Jacob 
was disappointed and angry, and said to Laban : 
" What is this thou hast done unto me ? Did 
not I serve thee seven years for Rachel ? Where- 
fore hast thou beguiled me ? " 

Laban replied that never in their country 
must they allow the youngest daughter to be 
married first. So Jacob had to serve another 
seven years for Rachel, and he still lived with 
his father-in-law Laban. 

Everything seemed to prosper with him 
while there. The flocks and herds grew in 
number, until there was hardly room enough in 
the country for all of them. Besides, Jacob had 



42 BIBLE STORIES 

a number of sons born to him, and in those days 
that was thought to be a great honor. 

Laban was well pleased to have such a thrifty- 
son-in-law live with him. But he wasn't will- 
ing to pay him as he ought for his services. 
We read in the Bible that the angel of God 
spoke to Jacob in a dream one night, and told 
him to leave that country and go back to his 
own land. 

When Rachel and her sister were told this 
dream, they were both well pleased at the 
thought of leaving. They said : " Is there any 
portion or inheritance in our father's house ? 
Are we not counted by him as strangers ? " 

So they told Jacob, ''Whatsoever God hath^ 
said unto thee, do." 

Not long after, Laban went off quite a distance 
to shear the sheep. Jacob thought this a good 
time to carry out his plan of starting away. So 
he packed up all his goods, and put his large 
family upon the backs of the camels. This was 
the only way in which they could perform the 
long journey to Jacob's old home. He gathered 
together all the sheep and cattle that had become 
his in Haran, and put them in the care of his 
servants. Then they all went away so secretly, 
that the whole party had gotten a long distance 
before Laban was told of their flight. 



THE STORY OF JACOB AND ESAU 43 

He was angry, of course, and started off with 
a large party to pursue the runaway family. It 
was seven days before they overtook them, and 
one night while they were on the way Laban 
had a dream in which he was warned not to do 
Jacob any harm. 

When the two men met, Laban asked Jacob 
why he had stolen off in so secret a manner. 
If he had told of his intention, he said he might 
have been sent away "with mirth, and with 
songs, with tabret and with harp." 

Jacob frankly told Laban that he left secretly 
because he was afraid of him. He had not been 
a kind and just father to him, and now he was 
going to take his family to his own father's house. 
They had a long talk together about their 
late troubles, and after a while they agreed that 
hereafter they would be friends. They set up 
a stone, as the custom then was, for a memorial 
between them. Laban called it Mizpah, for he 
said, " The Lord watch between me and thee, 
when we are absent one from another." Then 
Laban took a kind leave of Jacob and his family, 
and even blessed them as he went away to his 
own land. 

As Jacob pursued his journey he came near 
to the country of Edom, where his brother Esau 
lived. Jacob was afraid that this brother whom 



44 BIBLE STORIES 

he had wronged so many years ago might still 
hate him as bitterly as ever. He wanted to 
make a friend of him if possible, and be allowed 
to journey peaceably through his country. He 
sent messengers to tell Esau that he was com- 
ing. The messengers soon returned with this 
thrilling message, " We came to thy brother 
Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee with four 
hundred men." 

Jacob was filled with fear when he heard this. 
His brother had become a rich man, and was a 
prince in the land, and now he was coming to 
meet him with an army. 

But Jacob had learned where to go when in 
trouble. He prayed to God earnestly that his 
brother might not be allowed to do him harm. 
Then he sent forward by his servants a great 
many cattle and sheep, besides a large number 
of camels. When these servants met Esau, 
they were to tell him that his servant Jacob had 
sent them to him for a present, and that he with 
his family was coming to meet him. 

That night we are told in the Bible that 
Jacob wrestled with the angel of God until the 
morning, begging of him to grant a blessing. 
"I will not let thee go," he said to the angel, 
'' except thou bless me." 

Jacob's wish was granted, and because of this 



THE STORY OF JACOB AND ESAU 45 

power with God his name was changed to Israel, 
which means a soldier of God. 

After the angel went away, as Jacob lifted up 
his eyes to the hill country, behold, Esau was 
coming with the four hundred men. He made 
haste to arrange his family for the meeting. 
Those who were strongest among them he placed 
first in the company. All the women and the 
children and any who were feeble he put behind. 

Then Jacob himself went forward, and as he 
came near to Esau he bowed down before him 
seven times. How glad he must have been 
when this dreaded brother ran to meet him. 
Esau not only embraced him, but he fell on his 
neck and kissed him, and they both wept for joy. 

Then as Esau saw Jacob's large family 
about him he asked, ''Who are these with 
thee ? " Jacob answered with . a glad voice, 
" The children which God hath graciously given 
thy servant." 

After these had come forward and humbly 
greeted him by bowing low before him, Esau 
asked, " What meanest thou by all this drove 
which I have met?" Jacob replied, "These 
are to find grace in the sight of hay lord." 
Esau graciously said to him, " I have enough, 
my brother, keep that thou hast to thyself." 

But Jacob was so pleased to meet his brother 



46 



BIBLE STORIES 



and to find that his anger had passed away, that 
he urged him to take the present. He said to 
him, " God hath dealt graciously with me and I 
have enough," and so at last Esau accepted his 
brother's present. 

They parted good friends, and while Esau 
went again to his home in Edom, Jacob jour- 
neyed toward his own land. It was still a long 
distance, and he made many stops by the way. 

A sad thing happened as they came near to 
Bethlehem, for Rachel, whom Jacob loved so 
dearly, died and was buried there. The site of 
her tomb is now shown to travellers who visit 
that land. She left a little baby, the youngest 
of Jacob's twelve sons, and his father called" 
his name Benjamin, which means, "son of my 
sorrow." At last the whole family reached 
Canaan, and settled in the home that Jacob had 
left so many years before. 

The two brothers still continued friends, for 
we are told that when Isaac, their father, died, 
at the great age of a hundred and eighty years, 
" his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." 



JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN 

In a pleasant home in the land of Canaan 
lived Jacob and his twelve sons. Their home 
was not at all like ours, for we live in houses 
whose walls are made of brick or wood, but 
their dwelling was a tent covered with cloth or 
the skins of animals. 

Jacob was a kind father to all his twelve 
sons, but the Bible tells us that he loved Joseph 
more than the others, because he was the son of 
his old age. It may be, too, that he Avas more 
kind-hearted than the others, that he was more 
obedient to his father than the rest of the 
brothers, and in this way had won more of his 
affection. One day Jacob gave this son a cer- 
tain kind of coat, which showed him to be a 
favorite. 

Joseph's brothers had seen for a long time 
how much their father loved him, and they 
were full of envy, and thought about this until 
they began to hate him. 

When Joseph appeared one day dressed in 
his bright new coat, they hated him more than 

47 



48 BIBLE STOKIES 

ever. They could not even speak to him kindly, 
but gave him only cross words. 

About this time Joseph dreamed a very 
strange dream. He thought he was at work in 
the field with his eleven brothers, where they 
had been reaping and binding up the ripened 
grain into sheaves or bundles. As he looked, 
lo ! his own sheaf stood tall and straight in the 
middle of the field, while all his brothers' 
sheaves stood around and bowed down before 
his sheaf. 

Joseph wondered what the dream could mean, 
and thought he would tell it to his brothers. 
When they heard about their sheaves bowing 
down before his sheaf, they were more angry 
than ever, and they said, '' Shalt thou indeed 
reign over us ? " It seems they were afraid that 
this might be what the dream meant. 

Then Joseph had another dream that was 
quite as strange as the first one. He thought 
that the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed to 
him as the sheaves of wheat had done. He 
told this dream to his father, as well as to his 
brothers. Perhaps his father thought he was 
growing vain and proud, and was trying to set 
himself above them all, and he spoke quite 
sharply to Joseph, and said to him : '' What is 
this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I 



JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN 49 

and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come 
to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth ? " 
This dream of Joseph's was truly a strange one, 
and his father wondered what it could mean. 

Jacob had a great many flocks of sheep and 
large herds of cattle, and was a very rich man 
in those days. These flocks had to go a long 
distance sometimes to get their food. Not long 
after Joseph told his dream the elder sons of 
Jacob went to Shechem to look after their 
flocks. By and by their old father wished to 
hear how they were getting along. He wanted 
to know if they were well, and if the sheep 
were doing all right. So when he called Joseph 
to go to see about them, he answered readily, 
''Here am I." Although it was a long and 
lonely journey, he was willing to please his old 
father by going. 

But when he came to Shechem, he could see 
nothing of his brothers. As he was walking 
about the fields trying to find them, he met a 
man who asked, " What seekest thou ? " And 
Joseph said, " I seek my brethren ; tell me, I 
pray, where they feed their flocks." The man 
told him his brothers must have gone away 
somewhere, for he had heard one of them say, 
" Let us go to Dothan." So Joseph went to 
Dothan, and when, a long way off, his brothers 



50 BIBLE STORIES 

saw him, they said one to another, "Behold, 
this dreamer cometh." Then these wicked broth- 
ers began to plan together how they might take 
Joseph's life. They thought they would kill 
him, and throw him into a pit, and then say 
some wild beast had eaten him. Reuben, the 
oldest of these brothers, heard this plan, and 
said ta them : " Let us not kill him. Shed no 
blood, but cast him into this pit in the wilder- 
ness, and lay no hand upon him." Reuben 
thought if his brothers did this, he could some- 
time take Joseph out of the pit without letting 
the rest of them know. 

Pretty soon Joseph came to the place where 
his brothers were. He was glad to see them, 
and spoke pleasantly to them. But their hearts 
were full of hate, and they treated him roughly. 
They tore off the coat which his father had 
given him, and threw him into an empty pit. 
Then these cruel men sat down a little way off, 
and began to eat and drink, giving no heed 
to Joseph's cries as he was struggling in that 
deep pit. 

After a while the brothers looked up and saw 
some merchants coming upon camels, who were 
going down into Egypt to sell their goods. So 
Judah, one of the older brothers, said, " Come, 
let us sell him to these merchants." They were 



JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN 51 

all quite willing to do this, so they sold Joseph 
for twenty pieces of silver. He was lifted out 
of the pit by the merchants, and carried far 
away into Egypt. 

By and by Reuben came to the pit, meaning 
to take his brother out, and when he found that 
Joseph was not there he was filled with sorrow. 
Reuben thought surely he was killed, for he 
said to his brothers, " The child is not, and I, 
whither shall I go ? " He was not present when 
Joseph was sold as a slave, and his wicked 
brothers kept it a secret. As they must soon 
return to their father, some story would have 
to be told him about the loss of Joseph. So 
they killed one of the kids of the flock, and, 
dipping his coat in the blood, they carried it 
home. When they brought it to their father, 
they said to him : '' This we have found. Know 
now whether it be thy son's coat or not." Yes, 
it was indeed Joseph's coat; his poor old father 
knew it at once, and he cried out in his grief : 
" It is my son's coat. An evil beast hath de- 
voured him. Joseph is, without doubt, rent in 
pieces." And the old man put on sackcloth, 
and mourned for his son many days. 
, When the merchants who had bought Joseph 
reached Egypt, they sold him to Potiphar, who 
was one of King Pharaoh's ofl&cers. Joseph, 



52 BIBLE STORIES 

although a slave, always tried to do right and 
serve his master so well that no fault could be 
found with him ; and Potiphar trusted Joseph 
more and more as time went on. At last he 
made him an overseer, and gave everything that 
he owned into his care. 

One day Potiphar's wife, who was displeased 
with him, told a false story about him to her 
husband. Potiphar believed his wife and was 
very angry with Joseph, and without waiting 
to find out the truth about the charge made 
against him, his master put him in prison. 

In this place were kept other prisoners of the 
king. Joseph still tried to do right, and he 
soon gained the good-will of the keeper of the 
prison, who began to trust him just as Potiphar 
had done. It was not long before he gave him 
the care of all the prisoners, and this indeed was 
a great honor for a young Hebrew slave to win. 

King Pharaoh had many officers in his court 
to wait upon him, and among these were the 
chief butler and the chief baker. The chief 
butler was the one who poured the wine into 
Pharaoh's cup and gave it to him. The chief 
baker made all the sweetmeats and nice things 
for the king's table. One day both of the offi- 
cers did something to displease the king, and he 
put them into the same prison where Joseph was 



JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN 53 

kept. Joseph treated the new prisoners kindly, 
for he felt sorry for their trouble. One morn- 
ing, they seemed so sad, that he said to them, 
" Wherefore look ye so sadly to-day?" 

They told him they had each dreamed a 
dream, and they wanted very much to know 
what their dreams meant, and there was no one 
to tell them. 

Joseph replied that God, who knew all things, 
could show them what the dreams meant. So 
when each of the men told Joseph his dream, 
he was able to show its meaning. It came to 
pass just as Joseph said: in three days the 
chief baker was hung by Pharaoh, but the chief 
butler was given his place again as the king's 
cup-bearer. Joseph begged of the chief butler 
to speak a good word for him when he was once 
more in favor with Pharaoh. For, he said, " I 
was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews ; 
and here I have done nothing that they should 
put me in the dungeon." 

But although Joseph had been so kind to the 
chief butler, he forgot all about him for two 
long years, and then it happened that Pharaoh 
too dreamed a very strange dream. There were 
wdse men in Egypt who pretended they could 
read the stars, and always tell the meaning of 
dreams, so Pharaoh called upon them to tell 



54 BIBLE STORIES 

him what his dream meant, but none of them 
could understand it, or reveal its meaning. It 
was then that the chief butler thought of Joseph. 

When Pharaoh heard of this young Hebrew 
who was so wise, he sent for him, and they 
brought him in great haste out of the dungeon ; 
and when they had dressed him in proper cloth- 
ing, they brought him before the king. 

Pharaoh said to him, " I have heard say of 
thee that thou canst understand a dream to 
interpret it." Joseph never wished to take any 
praise that did not belong to him, so he replied 
at once, " It is not in me : God shall give Pha- 
raoh an answer of peace." This was the king's 
dream which he told to Joseph : he thought 
he stood upon the bank of the river, and as he 
looked, seven fat cattle came up out of the river 
and went to feeding in the meadow. After that 
seven lean cattle came and ate up the seven fat 
cattle. Then Pharaoh dreamed again that he 
was in a wheat field where seven good, full ears 
of wheat grew upon one stalk and then there 
sprang up after them seven ears that were with- 
ered, and these ate up the seven good ears. 

Joseph told Pharaoh that the two dreams 
were as one, that is, they both meant the same 
thing. He said, ''God hath shown Pharaoh 
what he is about to do." Then he told the 



JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN 55 

king that the seven fat cattle and the seven 
good ears of wheat meant seven years of plenty. 
That in these years there would be a large quan- 
tity of food grown everywhere in Egypt. The 
seven lean cattle and the seven bad ears of 
wheat meant that for seven years after no food 
at all would grow. This lack of food was called 
a famine, and Joseph told the king it would be 
a very grievous one. He also said to Pharaoh 
that he ought to choose some wise man to care 
for the extra food in the years of plenty. It 
should be kept in some safe place so that the 
people of Egypt might have food when the 
famine came. 

Pharaoh was so pleased with what Joseph 
said about his dreams, and with his good advice, 
that he said to him : " God hath showed thee all 
this. There is none so discreet and wise as 
thou art," and he felt that he was the one to 
take care of the food. So he said, " I have 
set thee over all the land of Egypt." Pharaoh 
not only said these gracious words, but he took 
the ring off his own finger, and put it upon 
Joseph's hand, and caused him to be dressed in 
the finest clothes, and put a chain of gold about 
his neck. And then, to honor the new governor 
still more, th^ king made Joseph to ride in his 
second chariot. Men went before it, telling 



56 BIBLE STORIES 

the people whom they met to " Bow the knee." 
This was the custom in those days when any 
great man rode through the streets on horseback 
or in a chariot. 

Joseph must have been filled with wonder at 
this change in his life, for he went as we have 
seen straight from a prison to live in a palace. 
There was no one in all the land greater than he, 
except King Pharaoh. Joseph was not proud 
when all this honor was shown him, as some 
would have been. He knew it was because of 
God's love and care for him and his family, 
that this great good had come to him. God 
had work for him to do in Egypt, and he set 
immediately to doing it. 

The years of plenty had come, and there was 
ever so much more food than the people could 
use. This Joseph carefully put away until the 
stores were so large that he ceased to count 
them. 

But after seven years, the famine came just 
as Joseph had said, and for a while the people 
ate the food which they themselves had saved. 
When that was gone they went to Joseph and 
bought the wheat which he had stored up. 
Then Pharaoh and all his people saw what a 
wise thing it had been to save food for a time 
of need. 



JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN 57 

This famine was in other countries besides 
Egypt, and by and by Jacob and his family 
began to want food. After a while they heard 
about there being grain in Egypt, which could 
be bought of the man whom Pharaoh had made 
governor. So Jacob said to his sons, " Get 
you down thither and buy us from thence, that 
we may live and not die." 

There were eleven sons of Jacob at home, 
but only ten of them went down into Egypt. 
Jacob felt that he could not spare Benjamin, the 
youngest of them. A very dreadful thing had 
happened to Joseph, as he thought, so he was 
afraid to have Benjamin go out of his sight. 

When Joseph's brothers came before the gov- 
ernor, they bowed themselves down before him. 
They hadn't the least idea who he was, but "he 
knew them in a moment. Perhaps he thought 
of his dream then, when all his brothers' sheaves 
bowed down before his sheaf. 

Joseph made believe, though, that they were 
strangers, and spoke roughly to his brothers. 
He told them they were spies, and had come 
there for an evil purpose. They felt very bad 
when they heard this, and said : " Nay, my lord, 
but to buy food are thy servants come. We are 
all one man's sons. We are true men ; thy ser- 
vants are no spies." But Joseph pretended not 



58 BIBLE STOBIES 

to believe them. Then his brothers told him 
that once there were twelve brothers of them. 
The youngest was at home with his father, but 
the other, they said, " is not." They meant by 
this that they thought him dead. 

When Joseph heard of this younger brother, 
he told them to go home and bring him down 
to Egypt. If they would do this, he should 
know that they were true men and not spies. 
And for three days Joseph put them in prison, 
where they could think over his plan. The 
third day he told them that if one of the broth- 
ers would stay behind, the others might go home 
with grain for their father. But they should 
not go, he said, unless they would promise to 
bring Benjamin back with them. This was sad 
news for the brothers, but it was the governor's 
order and they must obey him. 

This hard thing, which he asked them to do, 
made them think how cruel they once were 
to Joseph. They began talking to each other 
about their wrong-doing, and to say that when 
Joseph pleaded with them for his life they refused 
to hear him. It must be because of their cruelty 
to him that this trouble had come to them. 
Reuben reminded them that he had wanted to 
save Joseph, but the rest were not willing. This 
trouble had indeed come because of their sin. 



JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN 59 

Joseph heard all this conversation, and could 
understand every word, for they spoke in his 
own language. The brothers thought that such 
a thing could not be possible, for the governor 
spoke to them in the language of Egypt, and a 
man had to tell them what he said. 

At last they started on their journey home. 
Joseph had caused all their sacks to be filled 
with wheat, and he gave them food for their 
own use on the way. By and by they stopped 
at an inn, and one of the brothers opened his 
sack there to give his ass some food. What 
was his wonder to find the money which he had 
paid for the wheat safely stowed away in the 
sack. When he told his brothers about it they 
were all afraid. What could the governor mean 
by this ? 

Of course their father must know what had 
happened, so when they got home they told him 
all about their journey, and how the lord of 
Egypt spoke roughly to them and took them for 
spies. " We cannot go again," they said, '' to 
buy food, unless we take our brother Benjamin. 
The man said if we brought him with us, he 
would believe we were true men." The poor 
old father was filled with grief when he heard 
that. " My son shall not go down with you," he 
cried. " If mischief befall him, then shall ye 



60 BIBLE STOHIES 

bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the 
grave." 

But after a while, the food which his sons 
brought from Egypt was all gone, and then 
Jacob said, " Go again and buy us a little food." 
But Judah told his father it would be of no use 
for them to go without Benjamin, for the lord of 
Egypt had said to them, " Ye shall not see my 
face, except your brother be with you." So the 
poor father said at last that Benjamin might go. 

He wanted to please this great man of whom 
they were all afraid. So he sent him a present 
of honey and spices, nuts and almonds, and 
many other nice things. And besides this pres- 
ent he told his sons to take twice as much 
money in their sacks as they had done before. 

When Joseph found that his brothers had 
come again to Egypt he met them with pleasant 
words. '' Is your father well ? " he asked ; " the 
old man of whom ye spake. Is he yet alive?" 
Then they bowed very low before Joseph, and 
answered, " Thy servant our father is in good 
health, he is yet alive." When Joseph looked 
at the group of brothers, and saw Benjamin 
among them, he wanted to weep for joy. But 
no one must see him do this, so he went away 
by himself for a while. When he felt as though 
he could speak to them, he came back and had 



JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN 61 

food served to them all. He loved Benjamin so 
dearly that he gave him five times as much as 
the rest. 

The next morning Joseph sent his brothers 
away with their sacks full of wheat, but before 
they had gone far Joseph's steward came hurry- 
ing after them. He brought the startling news 
that the governor had missed his silver cup, and 
that he had sent him to see if they had not 
stolen it. 

The brothers told the man that none of them 
would do such a wicked thing; and he might 
look in all their sacks and see for himself. So 
the man began a search through them all, and 
at last, when he came to look in Benjamin's 
sack, there he found the silver cup. Then they 
were all full of grief, as they went back to meet 
the governor. He asked them how they could 
do so unkind a thing as to take his silver 
cup, and he said that whoever had done the 
wrong must be his slave. The rest of the 
brothers might go home to their father. 

Then Judah told the governor how much 
their father loved Benjamin. "The lad," he 
said, '' cannot leave his father, for if he should 
leave his father, his father would die." Then 
Judah begged of Joseph to take him for a slave 
instead of Benjamin. 



62 BIBLE STORIES 

Joseph, as we know, had put the silver cup 
into Benjamin's sack to try them. He found 
that his brothers had indeed changed since the 
time when they had treated him so cruelly. 
Now they had grown kind-hearted and tender 
toward their father, and Judah was even willing, 
in order to save his young brother from being a 
slave, to become one himself. 

Then Joseph could keep his secret no longer, 
and he made every person leave the house ex- 
cept his brothers. "I am Joseph," he cried; 
''doth my father yet live?" The brothers were 
speechless with wonder, and they looked so 
troubled that Joseph said kindly, "Come near, 
to me, I pray you." When they did so, he 
said again, " I am Joseph your brother, whom ye 
sold into Egypt," and he kindly told them not to 
grieve for what they had done, for God had sent 
him before them to store up the grain of Egypt, 
and thus save their lives. 

And now, he said, they must hasten home, and 
bring their father and all their flocks and herds, 
for there would be no wheat grown in Canaan 
for a long time yet. And they must all come 
down to Egypt and live with him. " And ye 
shall tell my father," he said, " of all my glory 
in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen." 

Then Joseph wept for joy again upon Benja- 



JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN 63 

min's neck, and kissed all his brothers. He 
wanted them to know that he had freely for- 
given them for all their bad treatment of him. 
After this the brothers were glad and happy, and 
could talk with Joseph without being afraid. 

King Pharaoh was pleased that the governor, 
whom he thought so much of, had found his 
brothers. He knew of his wish that they might 
all come and live where they would have no 
lack of food. So Pharaoh bade the governor 
send wagons full of provisions for the journey 
of his father. 

Joseph gave to each of his brothers a present 
of fine clothing ; but to Benjamin he gave more 
changes of clothing than to the rest, and three 
hundred pieces of silver. 

The brothers at length reached home, and 
told their wonderful story. Jacob at first could 
not believe them, for the tale seemed too good 
to be true. But when he saw the wagons that 
Joseph had sent, and had heard over again his 
kind words, he began to believe the good news. 
" It is enough," he said, " I will go and see him 
before I die." 

Jacob's family started on their journey, with 
a long train of wagons and all their flocks and 
herds, and when they reached Goshen, Joseph 
made ready his chariot and went out to meet 



64 BIBLE STORIES 

them. He was so glad to see his old father 
that he wept tears of joy upon his neck, and 
Jacob felt that he was willing to die, now that 
he had seen the face of his long-lost son. 

When Pharaoh heard that Jacob had come, 
he wished to see him. Joseph was proud to 
present not only his father, but five of his broth- 
ers, to the king. Pharaoh spoke to them kindly, 
and seemed pleased with the aged man who 
stood before him. Jacob answered with pleas- 
ant words, and gave the king an old man's 
blessing. Pharaoh told Joseph that his people 
might live in Goshen, as this was the best part 
of the land of Egypt. The king was very kind 
to give such a pleasant home to the strangers. 
There Jacob and his sons settled with their 
flocks and herds, and the family were all to- 
gether once more. Jacob had found his son 
Joseph, whom he supposed was dead, and he was 
not only alive, but a great man in Egypt, and 
full of riches and honor. 

Benjamin was still with his father, and there 
was no want of food. The twelve brothers 
seemed to be loving and kind to each other now, 
and this of course filled their father's heart with 
joy. And with Joseph to care for them so ten- 
derly, they were all contented and happy in 
Egypt for many years. 



THE STORY OF MOSES 

In the land of Egypt, where Joseph was once 
a governor and where his family went to live, 
there came a time of sorrow, and among the 
people of Israel were many sad-hearted fathers 
and mothers. 

When Jacob and his family first came to 
Egypt they were few in numbers, but now there 
were many thousands of them. Another King 
Pharaoh had arisen, "who knew not Joseph," 
and who cared for none of his people. In fact, 
they had now become so numerous that he 
feared they would soon outnumber his own 
people. As this would never do, he made a 
law that hereafter any male children born in 
Hebrew families should be killed, for he would 
allow no more men of Israel to grow up. It 
was a rigid law of the king that every son born 
among these people should be cast into the river, 
but the daughters, he said, " ye shall save alive." 
. In one family there a little son was born, 
who his mother saw was such a " goodly child " 
that she kept his birth a secret and hid him 

65 



66 BIBLE STORIES 

away for three months. As the child grew 
larger and stronger every day, his mother soon 
found that she could hide him no longer. So 
leaving the babe to the care of his sister Miriam, 
she gathered tall rushes that grew by the river 
Nile, and Ihese she wove into a basket. Upon 
the outside of this she daubed pitch to make it 
water tight, and then tucking the child into his 
little basket bed, she carried it down to the 
river, and set it among the rushes. 

The mother told Miriam to keep watch some- 
where near and see what would become of her 
little brother. It was not long before King 
Pharaoh's daughter came down to the river 
with her maidens to bathe. Soon she noticed 
a strange-looking object out there among the 
rushes, and she wondered what it could be. She 
sent one of her maidens to bring it to her, that 
she might see for herself what it was. On lift- 
ing the cover, a beautiful babe, a sweet-faced 
little boy, looked up in her face and cried. 

The princess knew of the cruel law which her 
father had made in regard to the children of 
his slaves. And as she looked at this babe she 
said, " It must be one of the Hebrew children." 
Her heart was full of pity for the little waif she 
had rescued from the water, and she resolved to 
make him her own. 



THE STORY OF MOSES 67 

Miriam had been anxiously watching all this 
time, and when she saw the loving look which 
the princess gave to her brother, she hurried to 
her side. 

" Shall I go and call a nurse of the Hebrew 
women," she asked, "that she may nurse the 
child for thee?" 

" Go," the princess replied, and away sped 
Miriam to find her mother. The poor woman 
had been very anxious about her babe, and now 
she could hardly believe her daughter's story. 
With a glad heart she went with Miriam to see 
the princess, and the royal lady was so well 
pleased with this Hebrew woman that she said, 
" Take this child away and nurse it for me, and 
I will give thee thy wages." 

Surely a wonderful thing had happened, for 
the child's own mother was hired to take care 
of him. There was no danger now of his being 
killed, for the king's daughter would see that 
no harm came to the babe she had so strangely 
found by the river. He grew finely with his 
fond mother to watch over and care for him ; 
and we know that she taught him about the 
true God, who made the world and placed in it 
all the beautiful things he saw. 

When the child was old enough to leave his 
mother the princess took him to her palace and 



68 BIBLE STORIES 

made him her son. She gave him the name of 
Moses, which means " drawn out," and it was an 
appropriate name for the child who was drawn 
from the water. 

The people of Egypt at that time were wiser 
than the nations about them. They knew how 
to build magnificent temples and lofty pyramids 
for their burial-places. They made paper from 
the papyrus or rushes that grew by the Nile, 
and on this they wrote their strange figures of 
animals, birds, and plants. This pictured writ- 
ing was often carved upon tall pillars of stone, 
and told of brave deeds done by some Egyptian 
king. One of these pillars was brought from 
the banks of the Nile, and now stands in Central 
Park, New York. Another was taken to Lon- 
don and set up there. People can see upon 
them both the picture writing which was carved 
upon them in Egypt thousands of years ago. 
Wise men studied this pictured writing a long 
time, and at last they learned what the pictures 
meant, and could read the writing quite well. 
Moses probably knew all about it, for the prin- 
cess no doubt sent him to the best teachers in 
the country. The Bible tells us " he was learned 
in all the wisdom of the Egyptians," and when 
a boy he must have studied hard to have become 
so wise when he grew up. 



THE STORY OF MOSES 69 

Moses never forgot who he was, for he knew 
he was not the real son of the princess. He 
remembered his own mother well, and the 
stories she used to tell him about his own 
people. King Pharaoh still treated them as 
slaves, and as Moses went about among them 
his heart ached to see how hard they had to 
work. 

One day he saw an Egyptian cruelly beating 
a Hebrew slave, and he rushed upon him and 
struck him a sharp blow, and the Egyptian 
never breathed again. Perhaps Moses did not 
mean to kill the man, only to punish him for his 
cruelty. When he saw what he had done, he 
buried the man in the sand and went away. 
He thought no one had seen him do this, but he 
soon found that this deed of his was known 
among his own people. What if King Pharaoh 
should find it out? Not even his being the 
adopted son of the princess could save his life 
then, and so he left his palace home in Egypt 
and fled to the land of Midian. It was a long 
journey there, and he sat down to rest him ' 
beside a well. A man by the name of Jethro 
lived not far away, and his daughters used to 
come every day to the well to water their 
father's sheep. It took a long time to do this, 
for Jethro had many sheep in his flock, and 



70 BIBLE STORIES 

sometimes other shepherds came and drove his 
sheep away. They were selfish, no doubt, and 
wanted their own sheep to get the water first. 

Moses kindly drew the water for the shep- 
herd maids and helped them in their work. 
Their father was surprised to see them coming 
home so early, and asked them how it happened. 
They told him an Egyptian who sat by the well 
had helped them, so he bade them go and call 
him. Jethro received Moses kindly, and asked 
him to eat bread with him. He was so happy 
and contented there, that he remained in 
Jethro's home a long time, and after a while 
Moses married one of his daughters and made a 
home for himself in this land of Midian. 

All this while the people of Israel were in 
great trouble in Egypt, for King Pharaoh had 
become very bitter against them and treated 
them more harshly every day. God is always 
mindful of his earthly children, and when he 
saw how cruelly these Hebrews were treated, 
his heart was moved with pity for them. Some 
one must be sent to help them, and take them 
away from Egypt, and from the cruel Pharaoh 
who ruled them. Who so fit to do this thing as 
Moses, who was himself a Hebrew and knew all 
about the land of Egypt ? 

One day when Moses was out in a desert 



THE STORY OF MOSES 71 

place taking care of some sheep, a strange thing 
happened. A bush near him caught fire, and as 
he watched the flames, they did not burn the 
bush at all. This was indeed a wonder, for he 
had never seen, until now, any fire that would 
not burn. Presently a voice called from the 
bush, '' Moses, Moses," and he said, " Here 
am I." 

Then the voice spoke again, and told him not 
to come any nearer. " Put off thy shoes from 
off thy feet," it said, " for the place where thou 
standest is holy ground." Moses was filled 
with wonder. Whose voice could this be ? 
The next words that came from the bush told 
him what he so much wished to know. It said, 
" I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abra- 
ham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." 
These were three good men of whom Moses had 
heard his mother tell, when he was a little boy. 
This great and holy God, whom they loved and 
served, had come to talk with him. It is not 
any wonder that Moses trembled, and hid his 
face in fear. But God had work for him to do, 
so he spoke to him again, and told him he was 
going to bring his people away from Egypt and 
from being slaves any longer. He would not 
only make them free, but he would bring them 
into a beautiful land. 



72 BIBLE STORIES 

They would need a leader to speak for them 
to the king, and take them to this good land ; 
so God said, " Come now, therefore, and I will 
send thee unto Pharaoh. " But Moses was afraid, 
for he thought he was. not fit to do this thing. 
"Who am I," he said, "that I should go unto 
Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the chil- 
dren of Israel out of Egypt ? " 

But God told Moses that he would be with 
him, and always help him, and if the people 
asked who sent him, he must say, " I AM hath 
sent me to you." This was God's sacred name 
that the people of Israel never dared to speak. 
And surely if the great I AM had sent Moses to 
them with a message they must believe him. 

God talked a long time with Moses there in 
the desert, and told him just what to do ; how 
he should go to Pharaoh, and tell him he must 
let Israel go, and that he must keep them no 
longer as slaves. 

But Moses was still afraid. He said he was 
slow to talk, and that he couldn't speak to the 
king as he ought. But God told him to obey 
him and go, and he would teach him what to 
say. He also told Moses to take his brother 
Aaron with him, and they could help each other. 
God promised to be with them both, and that no 
harm should come to either of them. 



THE STORY OF MOSES 73 

So Moses went and told his father-in-law that 
he wanted to go back to Egypt; and Jethro, 
instead of trying to keep him, said to him, " Go 
in peace." Then Moses took his wife and his 
sons, and went back to the land where he was 
born. 

His brother Aaron, who saw him coming, 
went out to meet him and kissed him. It was a 
long time since they had seen each other, and 
they were glad to meet again, and tell all that 
had happened to them since they parted. Moses 
told his brother of the wonderful work God 
had given them to do. It was quite time they 
began it, and so they went away at once and 
gathered the people of Israel together. 

Aaron was the one who talked with them, 
and when he told them how God pitied them, 
and that he would save them from the cruel 
Egyptians, they were glad. They believed this 
good word that God had sent them. They had 
suffered much, and almost thought God had 
forgotten them, and now they were so happy at 
the good news of his love and care for them, 
that they bowed their heads in worship. 

King Pharaoh must be told this message that 
God had sent him, so one day Moses and Aaron 
went to the palace and asked to speak with him. 
When he came, they stepped boldly forth and 



74 BIBLE STORIES 

said : " The Lord God of Israel bids you let his 
people go. They wish to hold a feast out 
yonder in the wilderness." But Pharaoh proudly 
asked : " Who is the Lord, that I should obey his 
voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, 
neither will I let Israel go." 

Then Moses and Aaron pleaded with him, to 
let the people go for a three days' journey only 
into the desert ; they wanted to go out there and 
worship their God. This made Pharaoh very 
angry, and he told Moses and Aaron that they 
wanted only to get the people away from their 
work. His anger was so great that he treated 
Israel even more cruelly after this, and com- 
manded the masters whom he had set over 
them not to give the people any more straw to 
use in making their bricks. They must make 
as many bricks as before, but find their own 
straw; so the poor people went about all over 
the land trying to gather the straw which they 
needed. This took them such a long time that 
of course they couldn't make their usual number 
of bricks, and for this they were beaten by their 
cruel masters. 

When the children of Israel sent men to 
ask King Pharaoh why they were treated so 
badly, he answered that it was because they were 
idle. They were getting into idle ways or they 



THE STORY OF MOSES 75 

wouldn't have asked to go, and Pharaoh told 
them again they must keep on making just as 
many bricks, but no straw would be given them. 

This was a sad state of things indeed. The 
people even blamed Moses for trying to help 
them, and they complained to him that they were 
a great deal worse off than before he spoke to 
the king about them. Moses felt very sorry for 
them, and he told God all about their trouble, and 
the Lord heard him and spoke to him words of 
comfort. He assured him again that he would 
surely be with his people, as he had promised, 
and that he would deal with King Pharaoh 
in such a way that he would let them go. 

So Moses went again to the king, and said 
to him that the God of Israel had bidden him 
to let the people go. But he proudly refused to 
obey. Then God bade Moses to strike the 
water of the river Nile with the wonderful rod 
he had given him. He did so, and lo ! all the 
water of the river was turned into blood. This 
was a dreadful thing to happen, for the water 
of this river was all the people of Egypt had to 
use, and they were filled with fear when they 
saw what had been done. No one could drink 
.the water, and they became so thirsty that they 
were obliged to dig wells away from the river. 

God sent Moses a great many times after this 



76 BIBLE STORIES 

to King Pharaoh to ask him to let Israel go, but 
he would not obey. He couldn't think of losing 
the work of all those Hebrew slaves. This king 
had a great many treasures which he wanted 
kept safely, and his slaves were building great 
cities in which to store them, and he could not 
spare them. He answered " No," every time 
that Moses asked him to do so. 

Then God made dreadful things to happen in 
the land of Egypt. One day the people awoke 
to find frogs everywhere. Their homes were 
full of them, and they ran all over their food. 
Then another day millions of lice came to 
plague them, and the dust under their feet was 
all alive with them. Then there came great 
swarms of flies, so that the air was thick with 
them, and these dreadful flies were in the 
houses of the Egyptians only. In that part of 
Egypt where the children of Israel lived there 
were no flies at all. But Pharaoh's palace was 
full of them. He promised if he could get 
rid of these pests, he would then let Israel go. 
But as soon as the flies had gone away he 
refused to keep his promise. 

Then God sent a fearful sickness upon the 
cattle of Egypt, and they all died. Only the 
cattle that belonged to the children of Israel 
were saved. Then another disease was sent 



THE STORY OF MOSES 77 

among them, and all the people and the cattle, 
too, had sores break out on them. 

Then one day there was a terrible hail-storm 
in Egypt. The noise of the thunder was fear- 
ful, and the hailstones spoiled nearly all the 
food that was growing in the fields. 

Then, again, a great army of locusts came, 
and they ate all the food that had not been 
destroyed by the hail. 

The servants of Pharaoh knew that God was 
sending all these dreadful things to make the 
king obey him, so they begged of Pharaoh to 
let Israel go. But he remained as hard-hearted 
as ever, and would not heed God's command. 

Then there came intense darkness all over 
the land. For three days the people could not 
stir from their houses, it was so dark. But God 
took care of his own people Israel, and there 
was plenty of light in all their houses. 

Once more Moses asked Pharaoh to let the 
people go, but the king refused again, and told 
Moses to go away, for he wanted to see his face 
no more. Moses told him he had said truly, for 
he should indeed see his face no more. 

God sent one more trial upon Egypt. It was 
more awful than anything that had happened 
before. At midnight it was found that the first- 
born child in every house was dead. Pharaoh's 



78 BIBLE STORIES 

own child was lying dead in the palace, and 
every house in the land was filled with sorrow. 
The Bible tells us a great cry went up all over 
Egypt. 

But among the people of Israel no child had 
died. They were told to sprinkle some blood 
upon their doorposts for a sign. They did so, 
and the death angel passed over all the houses 
that had the marks of blood. The people were 
so glad that, every year after this, when the 
day came around, they made a feast which they 
called the " Feast of the Passover." 

Pharaoh's hard heart was touched at last. 
He was in such a hurry now for Israel to go, 
that he called up Moses and Aaron in the night, 
and bade them rise and go forth out of the land 
as quickly as they could. He commanded them 
to take their flocks and their herds and be gone. 
The people of Egypt were as eager to get rid of 
them as their king, and they said to him, "Send 
these people out of the land in haste, or we be 
all dead men." They drove them away in such 
a hurry that the poor people had to take their 
bread without its being baked. They borrowed 
of the Egyptians the things which they needed 
for their journey, and the Egyptians were glad 
to lend to them, for now they wanted very much 
to get rid of them. 



THE STOKY OF MOSES 79 

It was an immense army that marched out of 
Egypt that night. We are told there were six 
hundred thousand men, besides all the women 
and children. They took their way through a 
wild region that brought them to the Red Sea. 
Moses led them forth, and soon they had an- 
other wonderful guide. God sent a cloud in 
the form of a pillar to go before them and lead 
the way. In the night it glowed like lire, and 
gave them all the light they needed. 

When King Pharaoh found that the children 
of Israel had fled, he was sorry he had let them 
go. He said to his servants, '' Why have we 
done this, that we have let Israel go from 
serving us ? " He thought they couldn't have 
gone very far as yet, so he made ready his own 
chariot, and took with him six hundred thou- 
sand other chariots, with their captains, and he 
followed after the hosts of Israel as fast as he 
could, and soon overtook them. 

This great Israelitish army was resting in its 
camp by the sea without any thought of danger. 
When they heard a noise and saw the Egyp- 
tians coming, they cried out with fear, and 
began to find fault with Moses for bringing 
them there. They said it would have been bet- 
ter for them. to have been buried in Egypt than 
to come into the desert to die. 



80 BIBLE STORIES 

But Moses told them not to fear. They had 
only to wait and see how God would save 
them. He would not allow the Egyptians to 
harm them. Indeed, from that day they would 
see them no more forever. Moses also told 
them that it was God's command that they " go 
forward." They wondered how they could do 
this, for the Red Sea was before them, and they 
had no boats in which to cross it. 

The Egyptians thought that the people of 
Israel could not possibly get away from them, 
so they stopped to rest for the night not far 
away. Then a wonderful thing happened that 
was a great help to Israel. The pillar of cloud 
that had gone before them now went behind, and 
stood between them and the Egyptians. The 
side toward the children of Israel was so bright 
that it lighted up all their camp, but the side 
toward the Egyptians was very dark, so that they 
could see nothing that was going on about them. 

The people believed what Moses had told 
them about their being saved, and they watched 
to see what he would do. He still carried with 
him his wonderful rod, and at God's command 
he stretched it over the waters of the Red Sea. 
They parted just there, for God sent a strong 
east wind, that blew all night and made the 
waters go back. This formed a dry path for 



THE STORY OF MOSES 81 

thein, so that all the great army of Israel 
marched right through the middle of the sea. 
The waters stood up like a great wall on each 
side of them, until they had safely crossed over. 

When Pharaoh saw how easily the Hebrews 
were crossing through the middle of the sea, he 
drove after them with his horses and his chariots 
and all his army. But it was not easy for the 
Egyptians with their chariots and horses to 
drive over this strange path through the sea. 
The-y could move but slowly, and by and by their 
chariot wheels came off, and they were in great 
trouble. Some of the Egyptians were so afraid 
they begged of the king to go back. But 
Pharaoh was too proud to do that, and so tried 
to struggle on. It was then at God's command 
that Moses again stretched his rod over the sea. 
When it was morning the water began to come 
back and cover the Egyptians. They tried to 
flee before it, but it overtook them so quickly 
that Pharaoh and all his army were drowned. 
The people of Israel were grateful that God had 
saved them in such a wonderful way, so they sang 
with Moses a beautiful song of praise. Miriam, 
the sister of Moses, played upon her timbrel, 
and all the women of Israel joined in the song. 

From the banks of the Red Sea, the people 
began their journey to the beautiful land of 



82 BIBLE STORIES 

Canaan, which God had promised should be their 
home. But they soon grew tired, and began to 
complain of the desert land through which they 
were going. Although God sent them food 
every day, and made water flow from the rock 
to give them drink, they were still unhappy. 

They often forgot how good God had been to 
them, and were a great trial to Moses. They 
longed for the food they used to have in Egypt, 
and seemed not to remember their hard life 
there. They even wanted to have a god like 
those the Egyptians worshipped, and so one day 
they made a golden calf. Moses was very angry 
that God's people, to whom he had been so kind, 
should do such a wicked thing. 

If they had been obedient and tried to serve 
God as they ought, they would have had a pleas- 
ant and quick journey to the land of Canaan. 
But they kept on fretting and complaining 
instead of making the best of things. 

At last God bade Moses tell them that, be- 
cause they had been so wicked and ungrateful, 
they should never reach the beautiful land; 
and so they were kept going back and forth in 
that dreary desert for forty long years. The 
children of those who had left Egypt had 
grown up by that time, and they were allowed 
to enter Canaan. The most delicious fruits 



THE STORY OF MOSES 83 

grew there, and the land was so rich it was said 
to flow with milk and honey. 

Moses was a good man, and tried to serve 
God fully, but at one time he forgot and did 
something that was wrong. God forgave him 
the sin, but told him that he could not permit 
him to enter the promised land. 

One beautiful day he climbed a mountain, and 
from its top he could see all that lovely coun- 
try. He saw the winding rivers, that looked 
like silver threads as they flowed through the 
green meadows. And there were the beautiful 
lakes that shone like mirrors in the sun. And 
then the flowers, how bright they were in the 
lovely valleys, and how many different kinds 
there were ! Surely it was a goodly land, and 
Moses was glad he could see what it was like, 
even if he could not live there. 

He had now grown to be an aged man, for 
the Bible tells us that he lived to be one hun- 
dred and twenty years old. He died on that 
lonely mountain of Nebo, and somewhere in the 
valley near by he was buried. No one but God 
ever knew where he was laid. 

All who read the story of Moses must admire 
his grand life. From a little slave boy upon 
the banks of the Nile, he grew to be a great and 
good man, and the wise leader of his people. 



JOSHUA, THE BRAVE SOLDIER 



When Moses was leading the children of 
Israel through the wilderness to the land which 
God' had promised them, he had a faithful 
helper in Joshua. We first hear of him when he 
was sent out to lead the army in a fight against 
the sons of Amalek, a fierce and warlike people. 
Moses chose Joshua for this post of danger be- 
cause he was a good and true man, and a soldier 
whom he could trust. The battle lasted all day 
until the going down of the sun. Then Joshua 
brought back the good news to Moses that their 
enemy was beaten. 

We hear of Joshua again on the day when 
Moses was called to go up on Mount Sinai and 
receive from God the ten commandments. 
Joshua went with him a part of the way when 
he climbed the mountain, and was the first to 
greet him when he came down after staying 
there forty days. 

The people of Israel were kept in the wilder- 
ness many years, going about from place to place, 
wherever they were led by Moses. At last they 

84 



I 



JOSHUA, THE BRAVE SOLDIER 85 

came near to the borders of the land of Canaan, 
and they were anxious to know what kind of a 
place it was. There were twelve tribes of these 
people, and they bore the names of the twelve 
sons of Jacob. 

Moses thought the best way to find out about 
this land was to send men on before them to 
explore it. So he chose one of their chief men 
from each of the twelve tribes to do this work ; 
and Joshua was the one chosen from the tribe 
of Ephraim. Moses wanted these men to tell 
him what kind of a land it was; if the soil 
was good so that food and fruits would grow ; 
whether there were any cities there, and if so, 
what sort of people lived in them. 

The men left the camp of Israel, as Moses 
directed them, and went up and down through 
all the land of Canaan. It was the time of the 
year when grapes were ripe, and as they came 
to the brook Eshcol they found the most won- 
derful clusters of this fruit they had ever seen. 
The men cut off one of these clusters to carry 
back with them, and they found it so heavy that 
it took two of them to carry it. 

When the men came back to report what they 
had seen, most of them told a sad tale. They 
said to Moses that it was true, the land was a 
goodly one. It was rich and fruitful, as might 



86 BIBLE STORIES 

be seen by the wonderful cluster of grapes they 
had brought back. But they said many fierce 
and cruel people dwelt there, who had great 
cities with strong walls to defend them. Then, 
too, they had seen a race of giants who were 
called the sons of Anak. As they stood by 
them the men said they felt like grasshoppers 
in size. 

These faint-hearted spies ended their report 
by assuring Moses, "- We be not able to go up 
against the people ; for they are stronger than 
we." When the people heard this dismal story, 
they wept with sorrow. They blamed Moses 
and Aaron, and wished they had never left 
Egypt. They even went so far as to talk of 
choosing a captain to lead them back to the 
land where once they were slaves. 

Joshua and his friend Caleb, who was also 
one of the twelve spies, rent their garments 
when they heard of this plan. That seems to 
us a strange thing to do, but people in those 
days used to show their sorrow or anger in 
this way. Caleb and Joshua told a different 
story from the rest of the spies. They said that 
the land they passed through was an exceed- 
ing good land, flowing with milk and honey. 
What if the people who lived there were war- 
like, and some of them giants — God had prom- 



JOSHUA, THE BRAVE SOLDIER 87 

ised Israel the land, and he would help them to 
conquer it. 

But the people kept on murmuring against 
God, and he was so much displeased with 
their conduct that he said not one of all who 
left Egypt with Moses should enter the land 
of Canaan, except the two spies, Caleb and 
Joshua, who told the truth about the land. 
Those only who were children when they began 
their journey through the great wilderness, and 
had grown up since, should see the land that 
had been promised. 

The forty years of their wandering had nearly 
passed, and Moses, who knew that he must soon 
die, chose Joshua to take his place and lead the 
people to their home in Canaan. Soon after 
the death of Moses, God sent this command to 
the new leader, ^' Arise, go over this Jordan, 
thou, and all this people, unto the land which I 
do give them, even to the children of Israel." 

With this command God gave Joshua some 
wonderful promises to cheer him. He said, 
" There shall not a man be able to stand before 
thee all the days of thy life: as I was with 
Moses, so I will be with thee : I will not fail 
thee, nor forsake thee." 

But God told Joshua he must do his part, 
'' he must be strong and of good courage." He 



88 BIBLE STORIES 

must obey the law that Moses received from 
God, and " turn not from it to the right hand or 
to the left." Then God told Joshua again to 
be strong and of good courage, and not be afraid 
to go forward. "The Lord thy God is with 
thee," he said, " whithersoever thou goest." 

The time had come for them to enter the land 
that was promised them, so Joshua sent for the 
officers of the people. He told these men to go 
among all the different tribes of Israel, and tell 
them to prepare food for a journey. In three 
days they were to cross the Jordan, into the land 
which lay beyond the river. 

Two tribes and a half had been given their 
homes on the side of the river where they then 
were. All the women and children of these 
tribes were to remain behind in this land of 
theirs. The men were to go forward, and help 
in taking the country beyond. Joshua told the 
people that he was to be their leader now, and 
they must help him in every way they could. 
They replied that all he commanded them they 
would surely do, and that wherever he wanted 
to lead them they would be ready to follow. 

Soon after crossing the river, the army of 
Joshua would come to the strong and walled 
city of Jericho. Joshua was a prudent general, 
so he sent over two men secretly to see what 



JOSHUA, THE BRAVE SOLDIER 89 

they could find out about the strength of the 
city. They reached there in safety, and went 
first to the house of Rahab, a woman who lived 
just inside the city wall. They had been seen 
to enter, and some of the men of the city came 
to Rahab and asked who the strangers were, 
while others went and told the king of Jericho. 
They said, " Behold, there come men in hither 
to-night of the children of Israel to search out 
the country." 

Then the king sent this message to Rahab, 
" Bring forth the men that are come to thee, 
which are entered into thine house : for they 
be come to search out all the country." 

But Rahab had seen the king's messengers 
coming, and so she hastily hid the two spies 
that Joshua had sent, under some stalks of flax 
that were drying upon the roof of her house. 
When the men asked where her guests were, 
she pretended they had gone out through the 
gate in the wall and had left the city. 

Thinking that the strangers couldn't have 
gone far, the men ran out. in haste to overtake 
them. As soon as Rahab knew that the men 
must be a long distance away, she uncovered 
the spies who were hidden under the flax. She 
told them to hasten and leave the city as soon 
as possible. She had heard about the people of 



90 BIBLE STORIES 

Israel, and of the God whom they worshipped ; 
]iow he had brought them through the Red 
Sea, and had done many things for them. The 
people of her city, too, had heard of Israel's 
God, and they were sore afraid of the armies 
who fought in his name. If they should come 
to take the city of Jericho, the dwellers there 
would be too faint-hearted to defend it. 

This was just what Joshua had sent the men 
to find out, and now they were quite ready to 
leave the city and carry him the news. 

But Rahab, who had been so kind to these 
spies, begged of them not to let any harm come 
to her or her father's house. The men assured 
her that whatever befell the city she and her 
father's family should be spared ; and then she 
let them down from the windows on the outside 
of the wall with a scarlet cord. They told her 
to bind this cord in her window, and then when 
the armies of Israel came to take the city they 
would know which house to save. 

The spies returned in safety to Joshua and 
told him their good ^ news. They said to him, 
" Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands 
all the land ; for even all the inhabitants of the 
country do faint because of us." 

These Israelites had a sacred chest which they 
regarded as their greatest treasure. It was made 



JOSHUA, THE BRAVE SOLDIER 91 

of acacia wood, and overlaid with pure gold both 
within and without, and was called the " Ark 
of the Covenant." It contained a pot of the 
manna with which God fed the people while 
they were passing through the desert. In it, 
too, were kept the Rod of Aaron and the two 
tables on which the ten commandments were 
written. 

This Ark had rings on each of its four cor- 
ners, and through them were put staves of wood 
overlaid with gold, by which the men who had 
the care of this precious chest could carry it 
from place to place. This Ark was to be carried 
before them when they began their march 
tov/ards Canaan. As soon as they saw it 
going forward, they were to follow it, and when 
it stopped they were to stop. 

And now a strange and wonderful thing 
happened. As soon as the feet of the priests 
who carried the Ark touched the river, the 
water parted and let all the people go over 
on dry land. They came out nearly opposite 
Jericho, and the people of the city must have 
felt more faint-hearted than ever when they saw 
this great army crossing the Jordan in such a 
wonderful way. 

Joshua wanted the people to remember 
always how God had helped them in this first 



92 BIBLE STORIES 

part of their journey. So he told twelve men, 
one out of every tribe, to take each of them a 
stone from the bed of the river. These stones 
they were told to pile up together in a certain 
place for a mark or memorial. When, in 
the future days, their children should ask the 
meaning of this heap of stones, their fathers 
should tell them that the waters of the Jordan 
were once cut off, and the Ark of the Covenant 
and all the great army of Israel passed over the 
river on dry land. 

The people of Jericho were so frightened at 
what they had seen of the Israelites, that they 
shut themselves up in their city. They would 
allow no one to go out or come in, but waited in 
great fear to see what would happen. 

And now there came a strange command to 
Joshua. He was told to form an army, at the 
head of which should be a company of armed 
men, and after them seven priests should follow, 
bearing the Ark of the Covenant. Each of 
these priests should carry a trumpet made of 
rams' horns. All the mighty men of war were 
to follow the priests, and they were to march 
around the city of Jericho, once every day for 
seven days. On the seventh day, instead of 
marching around once only, they were to com- 
pass it seven times. At the seventh and last 



JOSHUA, THE BRAVE SOLDIER 93 

time, all the priests were to blow a loud and 
long blast upon their horns, and the walls of 
Jericho would fall. 

The people who were shut up in the city 
must have wondered at the strange way in 
which the army of Israel Avas behaving. Per- 
haps some of them may have made merry over 
the sight of a great host, marching daily around 
their city and doing nothing. Some of the 
men themselves, who formed this army, may 
have doubted if any good would come of it. 

But lo ! as they passed around the city the 
Sjeventh time on the last day of their march, the 
wonderful thing that had been foretold came to 
pass. The priests blew a long blast upon their 
rams' horns, and at the same time all the 
people gave a great shout. The stone walls of 
Jericho fell with a crash, and each man in the 
army could pass right into the city from where 
he stood. 

Out of all the people who lived in Jericho, 
Rahab and her family were the only ones 
saved. The scarlet cord which she bound in 
her window told the soldiers of Israel where 
their kind friend lived. 

The fame of Joshua spread over all the land. 
The wicked nations, whom God had commanded 
him to destroy, were afraid when they saw his 



94 BIBLE STORIES 

army approaching. The city of Ai, with its 
wicked king, soon fell before them, and the 
soldiers found many treasures there ; but they 
were forbidden to take any of them. Every- 
thing was to be destroyed. 

It was not long until the people who lived 
in the hill country of Canaan heard of the 
great army which had marched into their land. 
The marvellous story of the fall of Jericho, and 
of the taking of Ai, Jfilled them with wonder. 
By and by this army, under its brave leader, 
would be making an attack upon them. 
Those who lived in Gibeon were afraid to meet 
the Israelites in open fight, so they laid a cun- 
ning plan to deceive Joshua, and make him 
willing for them to remain. Some of the men 
dressed themselves in very old clothes. They 
put their food into some old sacks, and their 
wine into leather bottles that would hardly 
hold together. Their shoes were full of holes 
and their bread was dry and mouldy. The 
army of Joshua was in camp at Gilgal when 
these men appeared at his tent. They said to 
him, " We be come from a far country : now 
therefore make a league with us." Joshua 
asked them, ''Who are ye? and from whence 
come ye ? " 

And they said, '' From a very far country have 



JOSHUA, THE BRAVE SOLDIER 95 

we come." But they had heard, they said, of the 
God of Israel and of all that he did in Egypt. 
So the elders of their land had told them to take 
provisions enough with them and go forth to 
meet Israel. They assured Joshua that when 
they first left their country their food was fresh 
and hot. Now they said, '' Behold it is dry and 
it is mouldy ; and these bottles of wine which 
we filled were new ; and, behold, they be rent : 
and these our garments and our shoes are 
become old by reason of the very long journey." 

This was such a very fair story that Joshua 
believed it, and made a league with them, that 
their people should not be harmed. 

In a few days after, Joshua learned that these 
men, instead of living in a country afar off, were 
their near neighbors. He called them to him, 
and reproved them for telling him such an 
untruth. He asked them what they meant by 
saying they were far away, when they were 
really near by. 

Then Joshua told them that on account of 
their wrong-doing they should no longer be a 
free people. They might dwell in the land, but 
henceforth they must be the servants of Israel. 
They would have to do all the hard work of 
hewing wood and drawing water for the people 
whom they had deceived. The men of Gibeon 



96 BIBLE STORIES 

agreed to do this, and gave as a reason for their 
conduct that they were sore afraid of a people 
whose God had done for them such wonderful 
things. 

Joshua made no more leagues with the wicked 
nations about him, but went forward and drove 
them from the land as God had commanded him. 
Then he divided the country among the twelve 
tribes, and gave each of them a portion of land 
for their very own. Here they made their 
homes and pastured their flocks, and ate of the 
delicious food and fruits which grew there. 

Joshua wished them to remember how kind 
and merciful God had been to them, so one day 
he called the people before him. He spoke of 
the wonderful way in which the Lord had led 
them, and told them they ought always to obey 
him. He said to them, '' Choose you this day 
whom ye will serve." The time had come when 
they must make a choice between the gods of 
the heathen people who once lived in the land 
and the true God. " As for me and my house," 
said Joshua, " we will serve the Lord." 

The people answered just as he hoped they 
would ; they said : " God forbid that we should 
forsake the Lord, to serve other gods. For the 
Lord our God, he it is that brought us up 
and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, and 



JOSHUA, THE BRAVE SOLDIER 97 

preserved us in all the way wherein we went, 
and among all people through whom we passed. 
Therefore will we also serve the Lord ; for he is 
our God." 

Then Joshua said to them that if they forgot 
this promise and forsook the Lord, that he would 
turn against them. They replied, " Nay, but we 
will serve the Lord." 

Joshua bade them to put away any of the 
strange gods they might have among them and 
incline their hearts unto the Lord God of 
Israel. 

The people once more promised, and said, 
''The Lord our God will we serve, and his 
voice will we obey." 

Joshua, wrote the words of their promise in 
the book of the law of God. Then he took a 
great stone and set it up by an oak tree that 
was near their place of worship. And Joshua 
said to the people that when they saw the stone 
it would bring to their minds all they had 
promised, for they must never forget or deny 
their God. 

The people over whom Joshua had watched 
so long were soon after called to part with 
their leader, who died at the great age of a 
hundred and ten years. He was of the 
tribe of Ephraim, and they buried him on the 



98 BIBLE STORIES 

land belonging to them on the side of a beauti- 
ful hill. 

Among all the tribes of Israel there was not 
a more faithful man than Joshua, the brave 
soldier. 



SAMSON AND THE PHILISTINES 

For many years after the death of Joshua, 
who led the tribes of Israel into Canaan, his 
followers kept the sacred promise which they 
had made him. They obeyed God's law and 
kept from worshipping the idol gods of the 
nations around them. But they must have 
neglected to tell their children of God's good- 
ness or teach them to serve him. For when 
the fathers passed away, and their sons and 
daughters had grown to be men and women, 
the Bible tells us they knew not the Lord nor 
yet the works which he had done for Israel. 
" So they forsook the Lord God of their fathers 
and did evil in the sight of the Lord, and 
served Baalim or Baal." 

This was the supreme idol god of the Canaan- 
ites, and there were temples for his worship all 
over the land. They usually placed the images 
of this god on some high hill or on the roofs 
of their houses. 

There were numerous priests to serve this 
god, and it was a part of their worship to 

L.ofC. 



100 BIBLE STORIES 

dance around his altar, screaming and shouting. 
Sometimes they cut themselves with knives, 
that they might in this way gain the favor 
of Baal. 

God was much displeased with the people 
who had so wickedly forsaken him. They had 
left off serving him, and they soon fell into the 
hands of the cruel nations around them. Wrong- 
doing always brings sorrow in the end, as these 
Israelites soon found. 

Among the nations whom they failed to drive 
out, as God commanded them, were the Philis- 
tines, and they owned the land where lived the 
tribes of Dan and Judah. The people of these 
tribes never felt safe in their homes, for they 
knew not at what time they might be attacked 
by the Philistines. 

A woman of the tribe of Dan, who was the 
wife of Manoah, was visited one day by an 
angel, who told her that by and by a little 
son would be given her. He said that this 
child must always be a Nazarite. Those who 
belonged to this order and were called by this 
name were set apart for some sacred work. 
This child when he was grown up was to begin 
to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philis- 
tines. If this was to be his work, his parents 
wanted to know just how to take care of him 



SAMSON AND THE PHILISTINES 101 

SO as to fit him for doing it in the best manner ; 
so Manoah prayed to God for wisdom. 

God heard his prayer and sent the angel again 
to the child's mother, and as soon as he appeared 
she ran and called her husband. He said to the 
angel, " How shall we order the child, and how- 
shall we do unto him ? " 

When the angel had told them all that they 
wished to know, Manoah said to him, "Let us 
detain thee until we have made ready a kid for 
thee." 

But the angel refused to be entertained in that 
way, and told Manoah, if he had any offering he 
must make it to the Lord. So Manoah took the 
kid which he had prepared and offered it upon 
a rock near by, and lo ! as the flame went up the 
angel of God ascended with it into heaven, and 
Manoah and his wife fell upon their faces to the 
ground. 

From this time forth these parents felt that 
they must take the greatest care of the child, 
whose coming was made known to them by 
an angel from heaven. They called his name 
Samson, which meant sunlike and strong, and 
as we read his story we shall find he was indeed 
the very strongest of men. 

Samson sometimes went among their trouble- 
some neighbors, the Philistines, and at one time 



102 BIBLE STOEIES 

he happened to see a young woman there whom 
he wanted for a wife. His father and mother 
were not pleased with his choice, but at last 
they consented to let him do as he wished in 
this matter. While Samson was on his way to 
Timnath, where this young woman lived, a lion 
came out and roared against him. We shall 
see now how he used upon the lion the great 
strength which God had given him. The Bible 
tells us that "the Spirit of the Lord came mightily 
upon him, and he rent him as he would have 
rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand." 
Samson told no one, not even his father or his 
mother, of what he had done. 

The young woman whom he went to see was 
willing to become his wife, and so after a while 
he went again to Timnath to attend the mar- 
riage. As Samson was passing by the place 
where he had killed the lion, he saw that the 
bees had made a hive among the bones of the 
animal. It was certainly a strange place for 
the bees to choose as a storehouse for their 
honey, and Samson thought he would make 
out of the incident a fine riddle to entertain 
the guests at the marriage. 

He made a great feast, and it was attended 
by thirty of his companions. This feast was 
to last seven days, so Samson told his friends he 



SAMSON AND THE PHILISTINES 103 

was going to give them a riddle. If they could 
guess it within the seven days, he would give 
them thirty sheets and thirty changes of gar- 
ments. But he told them that if they failed to 
guess it, then they must give him the thirty 
sheets and the thirty changes of garments. 

The guests agreed to this plan, and said to 
Samson, " Put forth thy riddle, that we may 
hear it." 

So he gave them this : ''Out of the eater came 
forth meat, and out of the strong came forth 
sweetness." The guests at the feast puzzled 
over this riddle for three days, and none of 
them were able to guess it. 

Then they went to Samson's wife and said, 
" Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto 
us the riddle." They even threatened to burn 
her and her father's house with fire if she would 
not do as they wished. 

But when his wife asked him, Samson refused 
to tell her. He said, " Behold, I have not told 
it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it 
thee?" 

Then she wept, and said it must be he hated 
her instead of loving her, or he would never 
have given to her people a riddle without telling 
her the meaning of it. She begged of Samson 
every day to tell her, and she wept about it so 



104 BIBLE STORIES 

much, that at last, cTii the seventh day, he gave 
her the meaning of the riddle. Then she went 
directly and told her people, and so, when the 
time came to answer, they said, " What is 
sweeter than honey ? and what is stronger than 
a lion ? " Then Samson knew that his wife had 
told his secret and he was angry with her. But 
he was a man who kept his word, and so he gave 
the thirty changes of garments as he had prom- 
ised, and then he went back to his father's 
house. 

After a time Samson thought he would go 
down again to Timnath, and visit his wife. 
But her father wouldn't allow him to see her 
or have her for a wife any more, for he said to 
Samson, "I verily thought thou hadst utterly 
hated her." 

This father-in-law not only refused to let 
Samson see his daughter, but he had given her 
away to some one else. Samson, of course, was 
very angry at this treatment, and he formed a 
strange plan to punish the people who had done 
him this great wrong. 

In order to carry it out, he went into the 
woods and caught three hundred foxes and tied 
firebrands to their tails. 

Then he let them go into the wheat-fields of 
the Philistines, where much of the grain was 



SAMSON AND THE PHILISTINES 105 

ready for the harvest, and where the standing 
wheat was still growing. The firebrands not 
only set the grain on fire, but destroyed the 
olive groves and vineyards of his enemies. 

They asked, " Who hath done this? " and when 
they were told that Samson had caused all this 
destruction because his wife's father had taken 
her from him, the Philistines came up and burnt 
her and her father with fire. 

In those early days people seemed to place 
little value upon human life. They thought 
nothing of killing each other with the sword, 
or burning one another with fire if they felt 
angry. 

After this Samson went and dwelt by himself 
on the top of a rock in the land of Judah. The 
Philistines soon found out the place of his re- 
treat, and came there with their armies ; and the 
men of Judah went to Samson in great fear, 
and said to him : " Knowest thou not that the 
Philistines are rulers over us ? What is this 
thou hast done unto us ? " 

Samson replied, " As they did unto me, so 
have I done unto them." Then the men of 
Judah told him they had come down to bind 
him, so that they might deliver him to the 
Philistines. . 

Samson made them promise not to attacl? 



106 BIBLE STORIES 

him themselves, and they said, "Nay; but we 
will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their 
hand : but surely we will not kill thee." 

So they brought him up from the rock, and 
bound him fast with two new cords. When 
they came to a place called Lehi, the Philistines 
shouted against him. It was no doubt a shout 
of triumph, for they were glad to get Samson in 
their power. 

Then the Bible tells us that " the Spirit of the 
Lord came mightily upon him, " and he burst the 
cords off from his arms as easily as though they 
had been flax. Then he caught up the jawbone 
of an ass that he found upon the ground, and with 
this strange weapon he killed a thousand men. 

The Israelites were proud of this strong man, 
who could perform such wonderful deeds in 
fighting the dreaded Philistines. They thought 
him worthy of becoming their ruler, so he 
served Israel as their judge for twenty years. 

The city of Gaza belonged to the Philistines, 
and it had a strong wall to defend it and heavy 
gates to make it secure. Samson made a visit 
to Gaza at one time, and when the men of the 
city were told that he was there, they put a 
guard about the walls and kept as quiet as 
they could. They said to themselves, "In the 
morning, when it is day, we shall kill him." 



SAMSON AND THE PHILISTINES 107 

But Samson rose at midnight and took the 
doors of the city gates and the two posts, and 
went away with them. He not only took these 
doors, but the bars that held them, and putting 
them upon his shoulders he carried them to the 
top of a hill near Hebron. 

How astonished the people of Gaza must have 
been, in the morning, to find the gates of their 
city gone, and more astonished still when they 
learned that Samson had actually carried them 
upon his shoulders to the top of a high hill. 

The Philistines were determined to capture 
in some way this strong man, who was making 
them so much trouble. Among his friends in 
that country was a woman named Delilah, and 
to her the Philistines went for help. They said 
to her, " Entice him, and see wherein his great 
strength lieth, and by what means we can pre- 
vail against him, that we may bind him to afflict 
him : and we will give thee, every one of us, 
eleven hundred pieces of silver." 

So Delilah said to Samson, " Tell me wherein 
thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou 
mightest be bound to afiiict thee." 

Samson replied that if he was bound with 
, seven green withes that were never dried, then 
he would be weak like other men. 

Delilah bound him with the green withes, and 



108 BIBLE STORIES 

then cried out, '' The Philistines be upon thee, 
Samson." 

They were hidden quite near, as Delilah knew, 
and at her call they sprang forward to seize 
their victim. But Samson had already burst 
the withes, and throwing them from him, had 
made himself free. 

Delilah was much displeased, and said to 
Samson, '' Behold, thou hast mocked me, and 
told me lies." Then she urged him again to 
tell her what made him so strong, and how he 
might be bound. Samson told her that if they 
would bind him fast with new ropes that had 
never been used, then they would find him as 
weak as other men. 

The ropes were brought and Samson was 
tightly bound ; but when Delilah told him the 
Philistines were coming, he broke them off from 
his arms as though they had been threads. 

Delilah still persisted in begging of Samson 
to tell her wherein his great strength lay, and 
again he mocked her by telling her of another 
way in which he could be bound, and this of 
course proved as worthless as the others. But 
she was not discouraged, and kept on teasing 
Samson every day until he was so vexed that 
he told her his secret. His strength, he assured 
her, lay in his long hair, which had never been 



SAMSON AND THE PHILISTINES 109 

cut since he was born. The vow of the Naza- 
rite was upon him, and those who were set apart 
in this way kept their hair always uncut. 

" If it be shaven," he said, " then my strength 
will go from me, and I shall become weak and 
like any other man." Samson was so sure of his 
strength, and that the Philistines would find it 
impossible to bind him, that he foolishly thought 
he would risk even the cutting of his hair. 

Delilah sent word to the lords of the Philis- 
tines that at last Samson had told her the truth. 
They came with the money they had promised, 
and were willing to pay her as soon as they had 
captured Samson. 

While he was fast asleep one day she directed 
one of the men to cut off his long hair. When 
he awoke and she told him the Philistines had 
come, not knowing what had happened, he rose 
up and said, " I will go out and shake myself as 
before." But his enemies were near at hand, 
and when they rushed forward to grasp him, 
poor Samson found he had no strength to resist 
them. They bore him off to the city of Gaza, 
whose gates he once carried off upon his shoul- 
ders. They then bound him with fetters of 
brass, and cruelly put out his eyes, and set him 
to hard work in the prison. How many weary 
days he must have spent there, grinding grain 



110 BIBLE STORIES 

in the stone mills which were so hard to turn. 
But by and by Samson's hair began to grow 
again, and he could feel his strength coming 
back to him. 

These Philistines worshipped an idol god 
whom they called Dagon. He had many tem- 
ples for his worship, and the most famous one was 
at Gaza. This idol was a hideous-looking image 
"with the face and hands of a man, and the 
tail of a fish." 

The Philistines were full of gratitude to 
Dagon, because, as they thought, he had deliv- 
ered Samson their strong enemy into their 
hands. They thought it a fitting time to make 
a sort of thanksgiving sacrifice to their god in 
his temple. So great crowds gathered there, 
and they all rejoiced and praised Dagon, say- 
ing, " Our god hath delivered into our hands 
our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, 
which slew many of us." 

When they became excited and merry, some 
one cried out, " Call for Samson, that he may 
make us sport." 

And so they brought him from the prison 
and he made sport for them, by showing what 
wonderful things he could do with his strong 
arms. As he was blind, a lad had to lead him 
into the temple and attend him while there. 



SAMSON AND THE PHILISTINES 111 

Samson asked this lad to let. him feel of the 
pillars of the temple, that he might lean upon 
them. There was a large crowd of people to see 
his great feats of strength, for the Bible says, 
" All the lords of the Philistines were there ; 
and there were upon the roof about three thou- 
sand men and women, that beheld while Samson 
made sport." 

He felt that perhaps the time had now come 
when he could punish these wicked Philistines, 
who had put out his eyes, and were so cruelly 
mocking him. He prayed earnestly in his heart, 
and said, " O Lord God, remember me, I pray 
thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at 
once avenged of the Philistines of my two eyes." 

Then Samson took hold of the middle pillars 
which held up the temple, the one with his 
right hand, the other with his left. And with 
this last prayer, " Let me die with the Philis- 
tines," he bowed himself with all his might, 
and the walls of the temple fell with a crash. 
All the people within were killed, and of course 
Samson met his death with them. He slew more 
then than all he had slain before. 

When his brothers heard of what had hap- 
pened, they came and took his body from the 
ruins, and carried it to the burying-place of 
Manoah his father. 



THE STORY OF RUTH 

The land of Canaan, where the Israelites 
lived, was a very fruitful one, and was always 
described as "flowing with milk and honey." 
There were large olive groves, and from their 
fruit was made the olive oil that was of so much 
value. There were fine vineyards everywhere, 
and the soil was rich, so that many kinds of 
vegetables grew, besides wheat and all other 
grain which the people needed. 

But sometimes a drought would come upon the 
land, and no rain would fall for many months. 
Then the earth would become parched and dr}^ 
and the food and fruits that were growing would 
wither up and die. At the time when men who 
were called judges ruled over Israel, there was 
one of these droughts, which proved so serious 
that some of the people had to go away and live 
in other countries. 

The family of Elimelech, who lived in Beth- 
lehem-judah, found the famine so sore in that 
place that they decided to leave it and go to the 
land of Moab. They had heard that food was 
plentiful there, and so Elimelech, with his wife 

112 



THE STOKY OF RUTH 113 

Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, 
made their home in this country. As it was a 
pleasant land and they had food enough for their 
wants, no doubt they were contented and happy 
while they lived there. 

Their two sons chose each of them a wife 
from the daughters of Moab, and their names 
were Orpah and Ruth. But after a while there 
came a bitter sorrow to the family, for Elime- 
lech the father died, and afterward both of the 
sons. Naomi and her daughters-in-law were 
all left widows, and were iBlled with grief for 
their loss. The mother had been in the land 
of Moab for ten years, and now in her sorrow 
she longed to see her old home once more. She 
had heard that the famine was past, and that 
food was now plentiful in Canaan, and she felt 
that she could stay away from there no longer. 
She called her daughters-in-law and told them 
of her plan, and they started to go a part of the 
way with her upon the journey ; and thej^ kept 
on walking with her until they were a long dis- 
tance from Moab. 

At last Naomi said to them that they would 
better each of them return to her mother's 
house, and she hoped the Lord would deal 
kindly with them, as they had dealt with her. 
" Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their 



114 BIBLE STORIES 

voice and wept," and they said to her, ^' Surely 
we will return with thee unto thy people." 
But Naomi said that would not be wise; they 
ought to turn back and go to their own homes. 

When she gently insisted upon their obeying 
her, they both wept again. Orpah kissed her 
mother-in-law and sadly turned away, but Ruth 
clung to her closer than ever. Naomi said to 
her, " Behold thy sister-in-law has gone back 
unto her people, and unto her gods; return 
thou after thy sister-in-law." 

But Ruth replied, '' Entreat me not to leave 
thee, or to return from following after thee : for 
whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou 
lodgest, I will lodge : thy people shall be my 
people, and thy God my God: where thou 
diest will I die, and there will I be buried: 
the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught 
but death part thee and me." 

Ruth was so much in earnest about this, and 
showed such a deep affection for her, that Naomi 
hadn't the heart to refuse the request of this 
loving daughter. So she left off speaking any 
more about Ruth's return, and gladly took her 
back to the old home in Canaan. 

It was a long and hard journey for these two 
women, but at last they came in sight of Bethle- 
hem. How much sorrow Naomi had seen since 



THE STORY OF RUTH 115 

she left it ten years ago! As they stepped 
within the walls of the city, their coming made 
quite a stir there, for " all the city was moved 
about them." They said, ''Is this Naomi?" 
This name meant pleasantness, or sweetness, 
so the poor, sorrowful woman said, " Call me 
not Naomi, call me Marah"; that word meant 
bitter, and she added : " the Almighty hath dealt 
very bitterly with me. I went out full, and 
the Lord hath brought me home again empty : 
why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord 
hath testified against me, and the Almighty 
hath afflicted me ? " 

But Naomi had this good daughter to live 
with her and comfort her, and they made them 
a little home together in Bethlehem. They 
were poor, for, as Naomi said, she had come 
home empty ; and Ruth set about finding some- 
thing to do so that she might care for this 
mother whom she so dearly loved. 

They had come to Bethlehem just at the time 
of the barley harvest. The people were reaping 
their fields and gathering in the ripe barley. 
It was a beautiful custom of the Israelites to 
leave a portion of the grain, when they were 
jeaping, for the poor and needy. It was one 
of the laws which God gave them through 
Moses, and it gave bread to many a poor family. 



116 BIBLE STORIES 

Ruth thought that surely she might go and 
gather some of the grain that was left over, so 
she said to Naomi, " Let me now go to the field, 
and glean after him in whose sight I shall find 
grace." And she said unto her, " Go, my 
daughter." 

Ruth went gladly among the gleaners, and 
she happened to go with them into the field 
of Boaz, who was one of the rich men of Beth- 
lehem. He went out one day into the harvest 
field and spoke kindly to the laborers about 
their work. As he was looking around he 
chanced to see Ruth, and asked, ''' Whose damsel 
is this?" 

The man who had charge of the reapers re- 
plied, " It is the Moabitish damsel that came 
back with Naomi out of the country of Moab." 
He also told Boaz that she had asked if she 
might glean there, and she had been in the 
field ever since morning. 

Boaz turned to Ruth and kindly told her not 
to go into any other field to glean, but to abide 
there fast by his maidens. If she was thirsty, 
she might go and drink of the water that was 
provided for the others who were at work. 

Ruth felt so grateful to Boaz for his kind 
words that she fell upon her face and bowed 
herself to the ground, and she said to him. 



THE STORY OF RUTH 117 

" Why have I found grace in thine eyes that 
thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing 
I am a stranger ? " 

But Boaz assured her that he had heard all 
about her kindness, how she had left her own 
land, and had come to take care of her mother- 
in-law. He said, "The Lord recompense thy 
work and a full reward be given thee of the 
Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou 
art come to trust." 

Ruth told him how much his words had com- 
forted her, for he had spoken as friendly to her as 
though she had been one of his own handmaidens. 

Then Boaz invited her to eat with his reapers ; 
and when the meal was over and she went forth 
to glean again, he told his servants to " let her 
glean even among the sheaves and reprove her 
not," and also to let some of the grain fall on 
purpose so that she might have enough for 
her use. She worked hard in the field until 
the evening, and having gathered a large quan- 
tity of barley, she carried it joyfully home to 
her mother-in-law. 

When Naomi saw it, she was surprised that 
Ruth had gleaned so much, and said to her, 
" Where hast thou gleaned to-day ? and where 
wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take 
knowledge of thee." 



118 BIBLE STORIES 

When Ruth replied, " The man with whom I 
wrought to-day is Boaz," Naomi's heart was full 
of gladness. " Blessed be the Lord," she cried, 
" who hath not left off his kindness to the living 
and the dead." Then Naomi told Ruth that 
this Boaz was a near relative of theirs, one of 
their next kinsmen. Ruth told her mother- 
in-law how kind this man had been to her, 
saying that she might glean in his field and 
keep fast by the young men reapers until the 
end of the harvest. 

Naomi replied, " It is good, my daughter, that 
thou go out with his maidens, that they meet 
thee not in any other field." Ruth kept work- 
ing with the maidens of Boaz, not only through 
the barley harvest but all the time they were 
gathering the wheat ; and all this while she 
lived with her mother-in-law. 

One day Naomi told Ruth something more 
about their kinsman, Boaz, and said it would be 
well for her to visit him at his threshing-floor, 
where he was winnowing the barley. So Ruth 
covered herself with her veil, and went unseen 
by any one to the threshing-floor. She did not 
attempt at first to speak to Boaz, lest he might 
think her coming there an intrusion. So when 
he had eaten and drunk, and sank down upon 
a heap of grain to sleep, Ruth went and laid 



THE STORY OF RUTH 119 

herself down a little way from his feet. She 
herself was too anxious about what Boaz would 
say to her to sleep. 

At last when he awoke and found a woman 
lying at his feet, he said, "Who art thou?" 
She answered, "- 1 am Ruth thine handmaid, for 
thou art a near kinsman." 

Boaz knew then that Ruth had taken this way 
of showing him his duty toward her. By their 
Jewish law it was his place to care for her and 
give her a home. So he kindly said : '' Blessed 
be thou of the Lord, my daughter. Fear not, I 
will do to thee all that thou requirest : for all 
the city of my people know thou art a virtuous 
woman." 

Boaz not only spoke these kind words to 
Ruth, but he made her bring the long cloth veil 
which she wore, and this he filled with barley 
so that she might not go back empty to her 
mother-in-law. 

When Naomi heard Ruth's story on her 
return, and saw the present which Boaz had 
sent, she was quite sure that he would perform 
all his promises, and if Ruth waited patiently 
all would come out well. 

It seems there was a parcel of land which 
belonged to Naomi's husband, and now was 
owned by herself and her daughter-in-law, Ruth. 



120 BIBLE STORIES 

This land must be sold, and it was the duty of 
the nearest relative to buy it so that it might 
not fall into the hands of strangers. There 
was one relative who was nearer than Boaz, and 
he must be given the first chance of buying the 
land. It was the custom in those early days to 
do all such business openly at the gate of the 
city. So Boaz, the very next morning after he 
had seen Ruth, went and sat down by the gate. 
The kinsman whom he wanted to see soon came 
along, and Boaz spoke to him about the sale of 
this land. He told him also that it was the law 
that whoever bought the land of Ruth must 
give her a home by becoming her husband. 
The kinsman said to Boaz that to do* this would 
interfere with his own inheritance, and he 
would therefore give up all claim of his in the 
matter. "Redeem thou my right to thyself," 
he said, " for I cannot redeem it." 

In order to make the bargain sure, the man 
took off his shoe and gave it to Boaz, and by 
this act all the people knew that these two men 
had given each other a solemn promise. 

Boaz then made a speech to the elders of the 
city and to the people who had gathered about 
the gate. He said to them, " Ye are witnesses 
this day, that I have bought all that was Elime- 
lech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, 



THE STORY OF RUTH 121 

of the hand of Naomi." He also informed them 
that he had purchased with the land the right 
to make Ruth his wife ; to which he said, " Ye 
are witnesses this day." 

" We are witnesses," they replied, and they 
wished that much happiness and prosperity 
might attend him. 

The marriage of Ruth and Boaz took place 
not long after, and they made their home in 
Bethlehem. 

By and by a little son was born to them, and 
Naomi welcomed this grandson with a heart full 
of gladness. Her neighbors came to wish her 
joy, and said to her, " Blessed be the Lord, which 
hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, 
that his name may be famous in Israel." 

He would be the restorer of her life, they 
said, and would nourish her old age, for he was 
the child of the dear daughter who had shown 
her so much love and kindness, and who had been 
"better to her than seven sons." 

These women who were Naomi's neighbors 
named the child Obed, which means, serving 
God. His grandmother tenderly nursed him, 
and he grew up to be an honored man in the 
country. 

Ruth, who in the kindness of her heart was 
willing to leave her own countrj'- and her kin- 



122 BIBLE STORIES ♦ 

dred that she might cherish and care for her 
mother-in-law, had a great honor bestowed upon 
her, for she became the great-grandmother of 
King David, and was an ancestress of Jesus our 
Saviour, who was born in Bethlehem, where 
Ruth had her pleasant home. 



SAMUEL, THE FIRST PROPHET 

In Shiloh, a city of the land of Canaan, was 
set the Tabernacle or Tent in which was kept 
the Ark of the Covenant. We remember that 
this was the sacred chest which was so richly 
overlaid with gold, and which held many, things 
that were precious to the Israelites. 

After this people were settled in the land, 
God chose Shiloh as the place where the Taber- 
nacle should remain, and all the tribes of Israel 
went there once a year to worship, and offer 
their sacrifices to God. 

Elkanah, a good man who lived in Ramah, 
went one day with his wife Hannah to perform 
their yearly act of worship in the Tabernacle. 
Eli, an aged priest of the Lord, was serving there, 
and also his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. 

Hannah was much troubled in her mind and 
her face was sad. She had a kind husband and 
a good home, but there were no little children of 
her own to love and cherish. To be the mother 
of children,. especially of sons, was thought to be 
a great honor among the Hebrews, and those 

123 



124 BIBLE STORIES 

women who lived in childless homes were looked 
upon with pity and often with scorn. Hannah 
had been ill treated that very day for this reason, 
and in her sorrow she wept bitterly and prayed 
earnestly to the Lord. She promised that if he 
would graciously give her a son, she would devote 
this child to his service all the days of his life. 

Eli the priest watched Hannah as she prayed, 
but as he heard no voice, and saw only her lips 
move, he thought she must have taken too much 
wine and knew not what she was doing. As 
she kept on praying, Eli reproved her for her 
conduct and said to her, " How long wilt thou 
be drunken ? put away thy wine from thee." 

But Hannah answered, " No, my lord ; I am a 
woman of a sorrowful spirit : I have drunk 
neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured 
out my soul before the Lord." 

Eli seemed to be sorry that lie had spoken so 
harshly to her, and gently said, " Go in peace : 
and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition 
that thou hast asked of him." 

Hannah was comforted by these kind words, 
and humbly said, as she went away, '' Let thine 
handmaid find grace in thy sight." After 
another season of worship in the Tabernacle at 
Shiloh, Elkanah and his wife went on the next 
day to their home in Ramah. 



SAMUEL, THE FIRST PROPHET 125 

Hannah's prayer was answered, and one day 
her heart was made glad as a little son was laid 
in her arms. He had been asked of the Lord, so 
she called his name Samuel. How tenderly she 
cared for him, and we can think of her as sing- 
ing to him often the sweet songs of Israel. 

When the child was old enough to take the 
journey, Hannah went with Elkanah her hus- 
band to worship again at Shiloh. They took 
with them three bullocks, some fine flour, and a 
bottle of wine, with which to make a sacrifice 
to the Lord. 

As she brought little Samuel to Eli, she said 
to the aged priest, " Oh my lord, as thy soul 
liveth I am-the woman who stood by thee pray- 
ing unto the Lord. For this child I prayed : and 
the Lord hath given me my petition which I 
asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him 
unto the Lord: as long as he liveth he shall be 
lent unto the Lord." 

And then this good woman sang a beautiful 
hymn, which was full of praise to God for his 
tender mercy toward her. She left Samuel 
there with Eli to live with him in God's house, 
and to help him in any work that a child could 
do. 

Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who 
were priests of the Lord, were wicked men, and 



126 BIBLE STORIES 

unfit for that sacred office. Their father knew 
of their bad conduct, and tried, too late, to 
persuade them to do better. " Why do ye such 
things ? " hs asked. " I hear of your evil doings 
by all this people. Nay, my sons, it is no good 
report that I hear; ye make the Lord's people 
to transgress." 

But nothing their father said to them seemed 
to have any effect upon these wicked sons, and 
we shall learn later to what a sad end they 
came. 

In the Tabernacle was a beautiful golden 
candlestick, which was lighted every evening 
and kept burning through the night. It was 
Samuel's work to put out the light in this 
candlestick at sunrise, and then to open the 
doors of the Tabernacle. He wore a linen 
ephod or robe fastened with a girdle while he 
helped Eli in these sacred duties. His mother 
never forgot her son whom she had lent to the 
Lord, and every year she made him a little coat, 
and brought it to him when she went to wor- 
ship at Shiloh. 

As Samuel had to attend the candlestick 
every morning, he slept at night very near the 
Holy Place in the Tabernacle. One night, as 
he was lying in his bed, he heard a voice call, 
"Samuel;" and he answered, "Here am L" 





^H 






^^^^Bs['^^H 


^1 1 




W' B 


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The Boy Samuel. 
From a paint i7ig by Reynolds. 



SAMUEL, THE FIRST PROPHET 127 

Supposing it was Eli who had called him, he 
ran to him and said, "Here am I, for thou 
calledst me." 

But Eli said, "I called thee not; go lie down 
again." 

Then a second and third time the same voice 
called, " Samuel ; " and the lad ran to Eli and 
cried out, " Here am I, for thou didst call me." 

Eli then thought it surely must be God's 
voice that had spoken to the child, so he said 
to Samuel, " Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he 
call thee, that thou shalt say. Speak, Lord ; for 
thy servant heareth." 

Again the boy heard this strange voice, and 
this time it called his name twice, " Samuel, 
Samuel." And he answered, " Speak ; for thy 
servant heareth." 

Then God talked with the child, and told 
him many things that were going to happen to 
the people of Israel. Eli would soon be in 
great trouble and sorrow on account of his 
wicke4 sons. They had made themselves vile, 
and he had not guided nor restrained them as 
he ought, and a dreadful thing would happen 
to them. 

Samuel must have wondered why this mes- 
sage should have been given to him. He lay 
there thinking it all over until the morning 



128 BIBLE STORIES 

came, and then he rose to open the doors of the 
Tabernacle. He kept bravely about his morn- 
ing work, hoping that he might not have to tell 
Eli of his vision. 

Finding that Samuel did not appear as usual, 
Eli called him, and he came directly to him. 
Eli said: "What is the thing that the Lord hath 
said unto thee ? I pray hide it not from me : 
God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide 
anything from me of all the things that he said 
unto thee." 

After these solemn words of Eli, Samuel 
dared not disobey him ; so he told him every- 
thing that the Lord had said. The poor old 
man was filled with grief, but he knew he had 
sinned, and he humbly said, " It is the Lord : 
let him do what seemeth him good." 

As Samuel grew in stature, he grew in the 
grace and the knowledge of God. Frequent 
messages to the people of Israel came to him 
from the Lord, and soon it was known through 
all the land that Samuel was to serve thepa as a 
prophet of God. 

The Philistines, who were so troublesome in 
the days of Samson, were still the enemies of 
Israel, and often made fierce and sudden at- 
tacks upon them. In one of these battles the 
Philistines gained a great victory, and the Israel- 



SAMUEL, THE FIRST PROPHET 129 

ites felt that something unusual must be done 
to save them from future loss. 

Some of the people thought that, if they 
should take the Ark of God with them i^to 
battle, perhaps its presence might in some way- 
help them. So they sent to Shiloh and had 
the Ark brought into their camp, and with it 
came the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. 
As soon as the Ark entered the camp the 
Israelites welcomed it with a shout of joy. 

The Philistines asked the meaning of this 
great noise, and when they were told it was 
because the Ark of God had come, they were 
sore afraid. They had heard of the God of 
Israel, that he was mighty and powerful, and 
had done wonderful things in Egypt. "Woe 
unto us ! " they cried ; " who shall deliver us 
out of the hands of these mighty gods ? " To 
their armies they cried, " Be strong, and quit 
yourselves like men, O ye Philistines ! thai ye 
be not servants to the Hebrews ; quit your- 
selves like men, and fight." They did fight 
more fiercely than ever before, and the men of 
Israel fled in terror to their tents, for many 
thousands of their soldiers had been slain, and 
even the sacred Ark of God was taken; and 
Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were 
among the killed. 



130 BIBLE STORIES 

In those days news of any great event had 
to be carried by men who were called runners. 
One of these men, with his clothes rent and his 
head covered with earth, ran in great haste to 
Shiloh to tell the news of Israel's defeat. Eli 
was sitting by the wayside, eagerly waiting for 
tidings of the battle. When the man with such 
signs of sorrow appeared, his heart sank within 
him. Eli trembled for the safety of the Ark of 
God, and when, later on, he heard a great 
tumult in the city and the noise of crying, he 
said, "What meaneth the noise of this tumult?" 

The man who had brought the news came in 
hastily, saying he had fled that day from the 
army. Eli asked him, ''What is done there, 
my son ? " 

" Israel hath fled from before the Philistines," 
he replied, " and there hath been a great slaughter 
among the people, and thy two sons, Hophni and 
Phinehas, are dead, and the Ark of God is taken." 

Eli had borne the sad news bravely when the 
man told him his two sons were dead, but when 
he heard that the Ark of God was taken, the 
precious treasure which he had guarded for so 
many years, he could hear no more. He fell 
from his seat, and the fall breaking his neck, he 
died instantly. 

The Philistines took the Ark of God away 



SAMUEL, THE FIRST PROPHET 131 

with them, but to every place it was carried 
there came trouble and sorrow to the people. 
They grew so afraid of this mysterious golden 
chest that at last they begged of the Israelites 
to take it from them. Its loss had caused great 
mourning through all the land of Israel, and the 
people gladly sent men to bring it home. It 
abode for many years in a place called Kirjath- 
jearim. 

While the Ark was there Samuel had a serious 
talk with the people. He told them that God 
had allowed their enemies to defeat them 
because they had disobeyed him, and gone after 
the strange gods of the heathen. He assured 
them that now, if they would give their hearts 
to God, and serve him only, he would deliver 
them out of the hand of the Philistines. 

AVhen they had put away their heathen gods 
as Samuel had advised, he bade the people 
gather themselves together at Mizpeh, and he 
would pray to the Lord for them. They 
humbly obeyed their prophet, who was also their 
ruler and judge, and they kept a solemn fast 
there, saying, " We have sinned against the 
Lord." 

The Philistines heard of this gathering at 
Mizpeh, and thought it a good time to make one 
of their sudden attacks. The Israelites heard 



132 BIBLE STORIES 

of their intention in some way, and'were in great 
fear. They said to Samuel, '' Cease not to cry 
unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save 
us out of the hand of the Philistines." 

Samuel offered a lamb for a burnt offering, 
and " cried unto the Lord for Israel ; and the 
Lord heard him." 

While Samuel was making the burnt offering, 
the Philistines drew near, and began placing 
their men in order for the battle. Just then a 
heavy thunder-storm burst over them, and they 
were so bewildered that the Israelites soon 
gained the victory. 

Samuel set up a memorial stone, where the 
battle was fought, and called it "Ebenezer," 
which meant '' Hitherto hath the Lord helped 
us." He wanted them to remember with grati- 
tude that God had now given them a wonderful 
victory in the same place where twenty years 
before they had suffered such a great defeat. 
Even after the battle was ended the Israelites 
pursued their enemies until they drove them 
from the land, and so had peace with the Philis- 
tines during the rest of Samuel's life. 

When he became an old man he made his two 
sons judges in his place. They were not good 
like their father, and walked not in his ways. 
They cheated and robbed the people, who soon 



SAMUEL, THE FIRST PROPHET 133 

grew tired of such rulers. At last the elders of 
Israel went to Samuel, who lived at Ramah, and 
told him their trouble. '' Thy sons," they said, 
" walk not in thy ways ; now make us a king to 
judge us like all the nations." 

Samuel was not at all pleased with this wish 
of the people, but he prayed to God for direction 
in the matter, and he was told to let them have 
the king they so much desired. But first he 
shoulcj tell them what they must expect from 
this king. Samuel said to them that the king 
would take their sons, and would appoint them 
for himself, that he would make them his horse- 
men, and some of them would have to run before 
his chariots. He would make them work in the 
fields and workshops for him. This king would 
take their daughters and make them his cooks 
and bakers. He would take their lands, too, 
whenever he wanted them, and would take their 
servants away and make them work for him. 
Samuel assured them that their king would 
treat them so badly, that at last they would cry 
to God for help, and he would refuse to hear. 

The people heard these warning words of 
Samuel, but they could not be persuaded to heed 
his advice, and cried out even more earnestly, 
" Nay, but we will have a king over us." 

Then God told Samuel to hearken unto their 



134 BIBLE STORIES 

voice and make them a king. So he sent the 
elders away and told each of them to go to his 
own city and prepare for the king that should 
be given them. 

Now there was a young man of the tribe of 
Benjamin, who was known as Saul, the son of 
Kish. It was said of him that there was not 
among the children of Israel a goodlier person 
than he. He is described as tall and stately, 
and from ''his shoulders up higher than any 
other man." This was the king that God had 
chosen to give to his people Israel. 

One day Saul's father sent him to find some 
asses that had strayed away, and he started off 
with some of the young men to look for them. 
They searched a long time, but it was all in 
vain, for the asses were nowhere to be found. 
Then Saul said to the young men, " Come, let 
us return." He was afraid his father might be 
getting anxious about them. 

They had come in their wanderings to the 
place where Samuel lived, and one of the young 
men, who had heard of him as a man of God 
who could tell about the future, proposed to 
call upon this prophet, and ask him where they 
should look next. Saul agreed to this plan, 
and when they were near the city they met 
Samuel coming toward them. God had made 



SAMUEL, THE FIRST PROPHET 135 

known to the prophet the kind of man he had 
chosen, and when Samuel saw Saul the voice of 
God said to him, " Behold the man I spake to 
thee of; the same shall reign over my people." 

When Saul came up to Samuel, who was stand- 
ing by the gate of the city, he asked him where 
he should find the seer or prophet. Samuel 
replied that he was the one they were looking 
for, and he invited Saul and his young men to 
tarry with him a few days. He bade them not 
to think any more of the asses that were lost 
three days ago, for now they had been found. 
Then Samuel asked Saul this strange question 
which he couldn't at all understand : " On 
whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on 
thee, and on all thy father's house ? " 

Saul replied, " Am not I a Benjamite, of the 
smallest of the tribes of Israel ? and my family 
the least of all the families of the tribe of Ben- 
jamin ? wherefore speakest thou so to me ? " 

Samuel did not answer his question directly, 
but as they passed out of the city he said to 
Saul, '' Bid the servant pass on before us, but 
stand thou still awhile, that I may show thee 
the word of God." 

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and as he 
poured it on Saul's head he told him he was 
anointing him to be king over Israel. And then 



136 BIBLE STORIES 

as he sent him away he told him all that would 
befall him on the journey home. And every- 
thing came to pass as the prophet had said. 

The people were impatient for their king to 
begin his reign, so Samuel called them all to- 
gether at Mizpeh, and there he talked to them 
about God's goodness to them ever since he 
brought them out of the land of Egypt. Once 
they were content to have no ruler but God, but 
now they had asked to have another king, and 
God was about to give them their wish. 

Samuel caused the tribes to appear before 
him, so that the people might see from which 
of them the king would come. When the tribe 
of Benjamin was chosen, and the family of Kish 
came forward, Saul, his son, was the one chosen. 
But he was not present and they ran out to 
find him. 

When this tall, erect young man came for- 
ward, Samuel said, " See ye him whom the Lord 
hath chosen, that there is none like him among 
all the people ? " That was true enough, they 
thought; and the tribes gave a great shout of 
welcome, crying, " God save the king ! " 

Saul ruled wisely for a while, but by and by 
he forgot God's commands, and things went 
wrong in his kingdom. Samuel reproved him 
for his foolish conduct in thus disobeying God ; 



SAMUEL, THE FIRST PKOPHET 137 

and if he still kept on doing wrong, he was as- 
sured that he would at last lose the throne. 

We shall learn in another story how and when 
this came to pass. 

Samuel, as we know, was the first of the 
prophets, and in order that there might be 
others worthy to follow him, he founded a 
school in which to teach the young men of his 
people. This was called the school of the proph- 
ets, and was the first of that kind that was 
ever formed. 

Samuel lived to be an old man, and when he 
died there was great mourning in the land. 
The Bible says, "all the Israelites were gathered 
together, and lamented him." They buried him 
in his own house on a hill overlooking the town 
of Gibeon. As this house was probably built of 
stone, it served as a fitting tomb for the good 
man who was called to be a prophet of God 
when a little child. 



THE STORY OF DAVID 

The prophet Samuel, of whom we have 
already learned, felt very bad that Saul, whom 
he had anointed, and from whom he had hoped 
so much, had proved such an unworthy king. 
The Lord was mindful of his sorrow of heart, 
and one day this word came to Samuel : — 

" How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing 
I have rejected him from reigning over Israel ? 
Fill thine horn with oil, and go, and I will send 
thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite : for I have pro- 
vided me a king among his sons." 

Samuel answered that he was afraid to go, for 
if Saul should find out his errand there he 
would surely kill him. 

Then the Lord told him to take a heifer and 
offer it for a sacrifice, and call Jesse's family and 
the people of Bethlehem to attend this act of 
worship. 

So Samuel went as the Lord directed, and 
when the elders of the city saw him they 
trembled, fearing that he had come to re- 
prove them, or punish them perhaps for their 

138 



THE STORY OF DAVID 139 

sin. They called out to him to know if he 
came peaceably, and he answered, " Peaceably : 
I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord." 

Samuel told them to make themselves ready 
for this worship, and he also called Jesse and 
his sons to the sacrifice. 

When Eliab, Jesse's eldest son, came forward, 
Samuel thought that surely this kingly-appear- 
ing young man was the one God had chosen. 
But the Lord said to him, " Look not on his 
countenance, nor on the height of his stature; 
because I have refused him : the Lord seeth not 
as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward 
appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 

Samuel soon learned how true this was, for 
none of the seven sons of Jesse who followed 
Eliab was chosen by God. 

Samuel asked Jesse if these were all the sons 
he had, and he replied that there was one other, 
his youngest son, and he was in the field keep- 
ing the sheep. Samuel said, " Send and fetch 
him ; for we will not sit down till he come 
hither." 

The Bible describes David the shepherd boy 
" as ruddy and of a beautiful countenance." So 
when he came at his father's call, God said to 
Samuel, " Arise, anoint him : for this is he." 

The prophet took the vial of oil and poured 



140 BIBLE STOKIES 

it upon David's head before all his brothers. 
Probably none of those who were present at this 
sacrifice knew what the anointing meant, but 
thought it was something to do with their act 
of worship. 

The Spirit of the Lord came upon David soon 
after this anointing by the prophet. Perhaps 
it gave him the power to begin the writing of 
the beautiful Psalms, which people have loved 
to read and sing ever since. 

It was not long before the Philistines again 
gathered an army to fight Israel. They had 
learned that Saul had lost his power as king, 
and as they now had a giant warrior to fight for 
them, they thought it a good time to make an 
attack. 

There were two mountains in the land that 
faced each other, and there was a valley between 
them. On one of these mountains the Philis- 
tines had placed their men, while on the moun- 
tain opposite, Saul and the armies of Israel were 
gathered. In the camp of the Philistines was 
Goliath of Gath, a giant who was more than ten 
feet high. He wore a coat of mail and had a 
helmet of brass upon his head, and carried a 
heavy spear which none but himself could 
handle. 

This terrible giant used to march up and 



THE STORY OF DAVID 141 

down the valley between the mountains, and 
call out to the Israelites in a haughty voice to 
send a man to fight with him. Whoever should 
conquer in a single fight with him would win 
the battle against all the Philistine army. But 
if the giant should conquer the man who fought 
against him, then the armies of Israel would 
become the servants of the Philistines. 

" I defy the armies of Israel this day," cried 
the giant ; " give me a man, that we may fight 
together." 

Goliath marched daily through the valley, 
and proudly gave his challenge for forty days. 
Every time the men of Israel heard it they were 
filled with terror, for not one among them dared 
to face this fierce giant. 

King Saul had sent through all the land, and 
ordered all the best young men and the bravest 
to join his army. The three oldest sons of 
Jesse had gone at his bidding, and were in the 
mountain camp of Israel. As the days went 
by, their father grew anxious to hear from them, 
and he thought some of the home food would 
taste good to them ; so he told David to leave 
his sheep with a keeper, and go to the army with 
parched corn and loaves of bread and cheese for 
his brothers. 

David was very glad to go, so he rose up early 



142 BIBLE STORIES 

in the morning and hurried away upon his jour- 
ney. He reached the camp of Israel just as 
each army was getting into battle array. He 
soon found his brothers. While he was talk- 
ing to them, Goliath of Gath came out for his 
daily march in the valley. He cried out fiercely, 
as he had so many times before, ''I defy the 
armies of Israel ; give me a man, that we may 
fight together." 

David heard these words with a swelling heart, 
and asked some one who stood near, '' What 
shall be done to the man who killeth this Philis- 
tine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel, 
for who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he 
should defy the armies of the living God?" 

The man answ^ered that whoever should kill 
this giant. King Saul would give him great 
riches, and make his father's house free in 
Israel, and one of the king's daughters should 
be given him for a wife. 

Eliab, David's eldest brother, heard the ques- 
tion which he asked, and saw how interested he 
was in the answer, and was very angry with 
him. What business, Eliab thought, had such 
a stripling to meddle with such matters? He 
said to him: "Why camest thou down hither? 
and with whom hast thou left those few sheep 
in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the 



THE STORY OF DAVID 143 

naughtiness of thine heart ; for thou hast come 
down that thou mightest see the battle." 

David only answered : " What have I done ? 
Is there not a cause?" He wanted to be sure 
that he had heard aright, so he turned and asked 
another man the same question, what should 
be done to the man who killed the proud Philis- 
tine ? and he was answered as before. 

Some one told Saul of this young man ayIio 
was so interested in learning about the giant, 
and the king sent for David to come to his tent. 
He was astonished when David boldly said to 
him, " Let no man's heart fail him ; thy servant 
will go and fight with the Philistine." 

" Thou art not able," Saul replied, " to go 
against the Philistine to fight with him ; for 
thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from 
his youth." 

Then David told Saul that once, while he was 
keeping his father's sheep, a lion and a bear 
came and took a lamb out of the flock, and 
that when the lion rose up to attack him, he 
was strong enough to take him by the beard, 
and kill him. It was God who had given him 
the strength, and surely, he said, " The Lord 
that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, 
and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver 
me out of the hand of this Philistine." 



144 BIBLE STORIES 

David was so much in earnest, and so sure 
that he should succeed, that Saul said to him, 
" Go, and the Lord be with thee." The king 
thought that whoever should go out to meet 
such a dangerous foe should be clad in armor, 
which he kindly offered him. But the shepherd 
boy had never worn armor before, and Saul's 
was too large for him, so he threw it aside. 

In the fields of Bethlehem, he had learned to 
be very skilful in using the sling, and he had 
brought this weapon w^ith him. He went down 
to the brook near by, and chose five of the 
smoothest stones he could find, which he put 
into the shepherd's bag ; and now he was ready 
to meet the Philistine. 

When David drew near, and Goliath saw this 
young man, who seemed to him but a boy, com- 
ing to meet him with not even a sword in his 
hand, but only a staff, he cried out in a scornful 
voice, " Am I a dog, that thou comest to me 
with staves ? " and the Philistine cursed David 
by his gods, and cried out again, " Come to me, 
and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the 
air, and to the beasts of the field." 

But David was not afraid, and bravely said to 
the angry giant : " Thou comest to me with a 
sword, and with a spear, and with a shield ; but 
I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, 



THE STORY OF DAVID • 145 

the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou 
hast defied. This day the Lord will deliver thee 
into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take 
thy head from thee; and I will give the carcasses 
of the host of the Philistines this day unto the 
fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the 
earth; that all the earth may know there is a 
God in Israel. All this assembly shall know," 
David said, '' that the Lord saveth not with 
sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, 
and he will give you into our hands." 

Goliath was more angry than ever when he 
heard these bold words, and went to meet David, 
who was running toward him. When at just 
the right distance, David threw one of the 
smooth stones from the sling, and he aimed it 
so well that it sank into the forehead of the 
giant, and he fell to the earth. Then David 
ran, and taking the giant's own sword, he cut 
off his head. 

When the Philistines saw that their great 
warrior was really dead, they were filled with 
terror, ^and fled in every direction. The army 
of Israel, with shouts of victory, chased the 
Philistines even back to the gates of their own 
cities. 

When Saul saw how bravely David went 
forth to meet his foe, he asked, " Whose son is 



146 ' BIBLE STORIES 

this youth ? " Abner, the captain of the army, 
replied that he could not tell, so Saul said to 
him, '^Inquire whose son the stripling is." 

As Abner went out to obey Saul's command, 
he met David returning from the battle, with 
the head of Goliath in his hand, and he took 
him directly into the presence of Saul and his 
son Jonathan. When asked whose son he was, 
David replied, '^I am the son of Jesse, the 
Bethlehemite." Saul was so pleased with 
David's appearance that, after talking with him 
awhile, he took him into his service, " and would 
let him go no more to his father's house." 

Jonathan was even more pleased with David 
than his father was, and his affection was 
returned. The Bible says, ''the soul of Jon- 
athan was knit with the soul of David, and 
Jonathan loved him as his own soul." He even 
stripped off his own princely robe, and his 
other costly garments, and gave them to David ; 
also his sword, his bow, and even his girdle. 

David went wherever Saul directed him, and 
behaved himself so wdsely that he was soon set 
over a thousand men as their captain. The 
people loved him, and he gained the favor of all 
Saul's servants. 

After a great victory had been gained in battle, 
it was the custom in those days for a company 



THE STORY OF DAVID ^ 147 

of women to go out with musical instruments, 
and meet the victorious captains and sing their 
praises. So when Saul and David were return- 
ing from their victory over the Philistines, the 
women came out from all the cities as they 
passed, singing and dancing before them. " Saul," 
they sang, '^las slain his thousands and David 
his ten thousands." This greatly displeased Saul, 
and he was very angry that the women had sung 
of himself as having slain thousands only, while 
David had slain ten thousands. 

A wicked feeling of jealousy took possession 
of his heart from that day forward. Once in 
an angry fit he threw his javelin, a sharp and 
dangerous weapon, at David, but missed him. 
At last Saul became so furious that he would 
not allow David to come into his presence, but 
sent him away to be a captain over another part 
of his army. 

But David behaved wisely in all his ways, 
and the Lord was with him ; and when Saul saw 
this, he was afraid of him, for all the people 
loved David. 

Although Saul had allowed David to become 
his son-in-law, he hated him more and more as 
time went on, and he asked Jonathan and even 
his servants to kill him. Jonathan told David 
of his father's wicked purpose, and said he would 



148 BIBLE STORIES 

talk with him, and see what he could do to turn 
his anger away. 

So Jonathan spoke to his father about David's 
courage in fighting the giant, and how much he 
had done since in driving away their enemies, 
and said to him, " Wherefore wilt thou sin 
against innocent blood, to slay David without 
cause ? " These words of his son had such a 
good effect upon Saul that his mind was changed 
for a time at least, and he said, " As the Lord 
liveth, he shall not be slain." 

So David was taken back into Saul's house, 
and lived there peacefully until there was 
another war with the Philistines. Then because 
David gained more great victories over their 
enemies, Saul was angry again, and came near 
killing his faithful captain with his own hand. 

As one of the rewards promised to David for 
killing the giant, Michal, Saul's daughter, had 
been given him for a wife. She seems to have 
been a kind and loving wife, for she tried in 
every way to shield her husband from her cruel 
father. 

She heard one day that Saul had sent mes- 
sengers to the house to kill David, so she sent 
him away in great haste. Then she dressed up 
an image, and putting a pillow of goat's hair 
under its head, she covered it up in David's bed. 



THE STORY OF DAVID 149 

When the messengers came she pretended that 
her husband was sick, and they went away for 
that time. Then Saul sent messengers again, 
and said, " Bring him up to me in the bed that 
I may slay him." But when they found noth- 
ing but an image lying there, Saul was very 
angry, and said to his daughter Michal, " Why 
hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine 
enemy that he has escaped ? " But this daughter 
felt that she had done right in saving her hus- 
band's life, and bravely told her father so. 

David's life was now in so much danger that 
he fled to the house of the prophet Samuel in 
Naioth. In a short time he had to flee from this 
place also, and for years after he was hunted by 
Saul, who was determined that he should die. 

One of David's hiding-places was a cave in 
Engedi. When Saul heard that he was some- 
where in that wilderness, he took with him three 
thousand men and went to seek him there. 
With a few of his men he entered a cave, and it 
happened to be the very one where David was 
hiding. 

The men who were with David were anxious 
that he should kill Saul, who had so wonderfully 
fallen into his hands. David did steal up to 
him while he was in the cave, and cut off a piece 
of his robe ; but he felt sorry afterward for 



150 BIBLE STORIES 

doing even that, and said to his men, " The Lord 
forbid that I should do this thing unto my 
master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine 
hand against him." 

David would not suffer his men to touch Saul, 
and by and by when he left the cave with his 
soldiers, David went out and cried after him, 
saying, " My lord the king ! " When Saul 
looked back, lo ! there was David bowing down 
before him with his face to the ground. David 
eagerly asked the king why he had believed the 
stories that his men had told about him, saying, 
"Behold, David seeketh thy hurt." Then he 
showed Saul the skirt of his robe which he had 
just cut off. If he had been as near as that to 
him, and could so easily have killed him, surely 
Saul ought to know that he had no evil, designs 
upon him. 

These kind words touched Saul's heart so that 
'' he lifted up his voice and wept," and he said 
to David, " Thou art more righteous than I ; for 
thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have re- 
warded thee evil." Before he finished talking 
with him, Saul told David that he knew that 
one day David would be the king of Israel ; and 
he made David promise that he would be kind 
to his kindred, and not destroy Saul's name 
out of his father's house. Saul reigned a few 



THE STORY OF DAVID 151 

years longer as king, and all this while he was 
troubled by the Philistines, who were constantly 
making attacks upon his army. 

At last, in a fierce battle on the mountains of 
Gilboa, Saul and his three sons, including Jona- 
than, were killed. David was deeply grieved 
about their death, and he wrote a beautiful 
elegy or song of mourning, in which he sang : — 

" The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high 
places : how are the mighty fallen ! Saul and 
Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, 
and in their deaths they were not divided." 

One of Saul's sons became king for a while, 
but on his death David was again anointed 
and began his reign over the kingdom of 
Israel. The Philistines soon made an attack 
upon the new king, but they were driven back, 
and their idol gods in which they trusted were 
burned. 

David now had a splendid army, with brave 
captains to lead it. The city of Jebus was so 
strongly fortified that the armies of Israel had 
never been able to take it. But one day Joab, 
the most daring of the captains, with a few 
brave men, climbed over the steep walls and 
captured the city. It was such a beautiful spot 
that David made it the capital of his kingdom. 
This place has always been known since as 



152 BIBLE STORIES 

Jerusalem, and called the City of David. To 
this city David ordered the Ark of the Covenant 
to be brought, and it was carried there in a 
solemn procession, and received with great 
rejoicings. 

David built himself a palace in Jerusalem, 
and lived there in splendor, for he had great 
riches. When he looked upon his beautiful 
house, and thought how the Ark of God was 
still within its sacred tent or tabernacle, he felt 
that he ought to build a temple for it. But God 
told him he might gather the materials for this 
temple, but that his son Solomon was the chosen 
one to build it. 

At times during his life David forgot God 
and was led into grievous sins. He was always 
sorry afterward for his wrong-doing, and would 
pray earnestly to be forgiven. He says in one 
of his Psalms, " Have mercy upon me, O God, 
according to thy loving-kindness ; according unto 
the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my 
transgressions." The whole Psalm is a prayer 
that God would have mercy upon him. 

He had a favorite son whose name was Absa- 
lom, who caused his father much sorrow. Absa- 
lom wanted to be king in his father's stead, and 
tried in every way to win the love of the people. 
He was so kind to them in many ways, that at 



THE STORY OF DAVID 153 

last he stole their hearts, and having raised a 
large army he had himself proclaimed king. 

Of course this was treason, a high crime 
against the government, and David would not 
permit even the son he loved so much to do 
such a wicked thing ; so an army was sent out 
to capture him. 

Absalom was very pleasing in appearance. 
It is said of him, " in all Israel there was none to 
be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty ; 
from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head 
there was no blemish in him." His hair was 
long and heavy and of great beauty. 

When King David sent his army against his 
son, he told the captains that if Absalom was 
captured not to do him any harm, but to spare 
his life. " Deal gently," he said, " for my sake, 
with the young man Absalom." 

The battle took place in the woods, and as 
Absalom was riding upon his mule under one 
of the trees, his long hair was caught in the 
branches, and the mule went away leaving him 
hanging there. Here he was found by Joab, the 
chief captain of David's army, who disobeyed 
the king's command, and shot Absalom through 
the heart with arrows. 

David was filled with sorrow for the loss of 
his son, even if his army had gained a great 



154 BIBLE STOBIES 

victory. It is said he went up to his chamber 
and wept, crying out : — 

" O my son Absalom, my son, my son 
Absalom ! would God I had died for thee, O 
Absalom, my son, my son ! " 

David mourned so long and so bitterly for 
his son, that the people felt he was doing 
wrong. Joab, his chief captain, said to him one 
day, that he seemed to love his enemies more 
than his friends. His army had put an end to 
Absalom's wicked plan to get the kingdom, and 
instead of being grateful to them he was mourn- 
ing all the while for his son. David saw how 
selfishly he was behaving, and, putting off the 
signs of grief which he wore, he went and sat 
again in the gate, where the people could see^ 
and talk with him. There was great rejoicing 
all over the land when the king returned to 
his home in Jerusalem, and went out and in as 
he used to do, before his son Absalom turned 
against him. 

David had a large and powerful army, and 
some of the soldiers were so wonderfully brave 
that they were called his mighty men. They 
all loved their king, and three of these mighty 
men one day put their lives in deadly peril in 
order to serve him. David had gone with his 
army to fight the Philistines, and had gained a 



THE STORY OF DAVID 155 

great victory over them, but a troop of them 
were still in Bethlehem, where David had lived 
when he was a shepherd boy. He was tired 
and thirsty, and longed for a drink of cool 
water from the well that was near his old home. 
He cried out, " O that some one would give 
me to drink of the water of the well of Beth- 
lehem, which is by the gate." 

Three of David's mighty men heard this wish, 
and ran with all haste, and breaking through 
the ranks of the Philistines, they brought to 
David the water which he so longed for. But 
the king would not drink it after all, because 
these men had almost lost their lives in getting 
it. Instead he poured it out upon the ground 
as a sort of thank offering to the Lord. 

When David became an old man his sons 
were each of them looking forward to being 
king of Israel when he should pass away. But 
David had chosen his son Solomon to wear his 
crown, and one day he ordered Zadok the 
priest and Nathan the prophet to place Solo- 
mon upon his own mule, and bring him to 
Gibeon. They did as the king commanded, and 
the priest took some of the sacred oil out of the 
tabernacle and anointed him. They blew the 
trumpet when the ceremony was ended, and all 
the people shouted, "God save King Solomon ! " 



156 BIBLE STORIES 

They were very glad that this good son of 
David was henceforth to be their king. The 
people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great 
joy, so that the earth shook with the sound of 
them. 

As David was about to die, he gave Solo- 
mon a parting message. He said to him : " I 
go the way of all the earth: be thou strong, 
therefore, and show thyself a man. And keep 
the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his 
ways, to keep his commandments, that thou 
mayest prosper in all thy ways." 

Then the Bible tells us David slept with his 
fathers and was buried in the city of David. 

He reigned over Israel forty years, and 
although he often sinned, yet he always was 
sorry for his sins, and humbly asked to be for- 
given. With all his faults we think of King 
David as the "sweet palmist of Israel" and 
"the man after God's own heart." 



KING SOLOMON THE WISE 

Solomon, who was made king just before his 
father's death, was David's youngest son. His 
father had always been a man of war. From 
the day in which he killed Goliath the giant, 
until his death, he had been fighting the ene- 
mies of Israel. He was quite an old man when 
his youngest son was born ; and as he was tired 
of war and fighting, and wanted the child to live 
a different life, he named him Solomon, which 
means peaceful. 

The people received their new king with joy, 
and there was peace and quiet all through the 
land. Solomon wished to make friends with 
Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and so he married the 
king's daughter. Pharaoh gave her a city on 
the borders of the land of Israel for a wedding 
gift. She was received with honor as princess 
of Egypt, and Solomon built for her a new and 
beautiful palace outside the walls of the city. 

Solomon kept up the religious worship which 
had been taught him by his father, and one day^ 
as he was making a sacrifice of a thousand burnt 

167 



158 BIBLE STORIES 

offerings at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him 
in a dream, and a voice said, " Ask what I shall 
give thee." 

Solomon replied that, although God had given 
him the throne of his father David, yet he said, 
" I am but a little child : I know not how to go 
out or come in." 

The people over whom he was to reign had 
become great and powerful, and he felt that he 
was not fit to rule them, so he prayed, "Give 
therefore thy servant an understanding heart to 
judge thy people, that I may discern between 
good and bad: for who is able to judge this 
thy so great a people ? " 

This wish of Solomon pleased the Lord, and 
he not only gave him the wisdom which he asked 
for, but with it great riches and honor. Solomon 
was assured that he would be wiser than any 
man who had ever lived before him, or that 
should ever come after him, and among all the 
kings there should be none like him. 

When Solomon awoke after this wonderful 
dream, he felt that God had indeed talked with 
him. He was so grateful for the gifts that had 
been promised him, that he went back to Jeru- 
salem and made there both burnt offerings and 
peace offerings. As he wanted others to share 
in his gladness, he made a feast for his servants. 




O Ij 






^ ^ 



KING SOLOMON THE WISE 159 

Not long after this Solomon had occasion to 
use the wisdom which he had just received from 
God. 

Two women came to him one day in great 
trouble. One of them said to him : " We both 
live together in one house, and we each of us 
had a little son of the same age. The woman 
who is with me lay over upon her child one 
night and killed it. As soon as she found it 
was dead, she took my child from me, and 
placed her dead son in my arms." 

The woman thus accused said, " Nay, but the 
living is my son, and the dead is thy son." 

Both claimed the living child, and so King 
Solomon told one of his servants to bring him 
a sword. When it was brought the king said 
to the servant, " Divide the living child in 
two, and give half to the one, and half to the 
other." 

At these words, the real mother cried out, 
" O my lord, give her the living child, and in 
no wise slay it ; " but the other woman said, 
"Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide 
it." Solomon was quite sure now which was 
the true mother, and he said, " Give her the 
living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the 
mother thereof." 

The people heard with wonder of this wise 



160 BIBLE STORIES 

judgment of the king, and they saw that the 
wisdom of God had indeed been given him, 

Solomon's kingdom was even greater than his 
father's, and he lived in more splendor than any 
of the kings about him. He owned many splen- 
did chariots, and he had forty thousand horses 
to draw them, and twelve thousand horsemen 
to care for them. The fame of his riches and 
his wisdom went everywhere among all the 
nations. 

He loved to study the works of God, and he 
knew all about trees and plants, from the great 
cedars of Lebanon to the little vines that grew 
upon the walls. It was said that he knew the 
language in which the beasts talked with each 
other, and that he could tell all about the fowls 
and the creeping things and the fishes. 

Besides all this, he could write out his wise 
thoughts for others to read. He made three 
thousand proverbs, and some of them we can 
read in the " Book of Proverbs " which we find 
in the Bible. He also wrote more than a thou- 
sand poems or songs. One of them we have in 
the Bible, and it is called the " Song of Solo- 
mon." 

The kingdom of Tyre was not far from the bor- 
ders of Israel, and Hiram the king of Tyre was 
always a great friend and lover of King David. 



KING SOLOMON THE WISE 161 

So when he heard that Solomon had been made 
king, he sent him a kind greeting. 

Solomon returned a pleasant answer, and they 
became good friends also. Hiram knew that 
David had wanted to build a house for the Lord, 
but was forbidden to do so, because he had been 
a fighting man. But David had saved up a large 
sum of money, and a great quantity of material 
had been brought from Hiram's kingdom already 
with which to build this house. 

Solomon sent word to Hiram that as soon as 
the rest of the material was ready, he should 
begin to build God's house himself. He wanted 
Hiram to furnish fir trees and cedar trees, and 
workmen to hew them and bring them to Jeru- 
salem. 

Hiram sent back this word to Solomon : '' I 
have consFdered the things which thou sentest 
to me for : and I will do all thy desire concern- 
ing timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. 
My servants shall bring them down from Leba- 
non unto the sea ; and I will convey them by sea 
in floats unto the place thou shalt appoint me, and 
I will cause them to be discharged there, and thou 
shalt receive them." 

Solomon was much pleased with Hiram's kind 
answer, and he formed a league or bargain with 
him, that he should help him not only with mate- 



162 BIBLE STORIES 

rial and work for the Temple, but that they should 
trade in other things. In exchange for all this 
timber sent by the people of Tyre, they were 
glad to take back the grain and oil which was 
so plentiful in the land of Israel. 

By and by Solomon built merchant ships of 
his own, which he sent to far-off countries, and 
they brought him back gold and precious stones 
and treasures of every kind. 

Solomon had been reigning as king for four 
years when he began the work of building the 
Temple. It was to be the most splendid build- 
ing in the world, so the king sent everywhere 
for the very best workmen. He called upon the 
people to furnish him with thirty thousand men. 
A thousand men at a time were sent to the for- 
ests of Lebanon to work for a month, and then 
they were allowed to stay at home for two months. 
Seventy thousand men did the rough work, and 
were called the burden bearers. Eighty thou- 
sand men were sent into the mountains to cut 
down the trees. 

Over all these, besides the chief officers of 
Solomon, were set more than three thousand 
men to watch these workmen, and see that they 
performed their daily tasks right. 

Great stones were brought with which to lay 
the foundations of the Temple. These were 



KING SOLOMON THE WISE 163 

taken from a quarry under the city of Jerusalem, 
and people who have been there tell us that the 
very place from which some of the stones were 
taken can be seen now. 

It took this army of workmen seven years to 
build the wonderful Temple. All the inside of 
it was beautifully carved in flowers and fruits, 
and overlaid with gold. 

The Holy Place for the Ark of the Covenant 
was also overlaid with gold, and the altar was 
built of cedar. There was a beautiful veil, too, 
to divide it from the rest of the house. 

Solomon caused a great basin to be made for 
holding the water used by the priests in the 
temple service. It was so large that they called 
it a molten sea, and this basin stood upon the 
backs of twelve golden oxen. 

All the vessels that were used in the Temple, 
the pots and the pans, the bowls and the spoons, 
were made of pure gold. There was but one 
candlestick in the tabernacle, but Solomon made 
ten golden ones for the Temple, five to stand on 
one side, and five on the other side, of the oracle. 
Even the hinges of the doors were made of gold, 
and the whole temple glittered in the sun like a 
golden mountain. 

When the Temple was finished, the chiefs of 
all the tribes of Israel went up to Jerusalem to 



164 BIBLE STORIES 

help in carrying the Ark of the Covenant into 
the Holy Place which had been built for it. 

As soon as King Solomon had done offering 
a sacrifice before it, the priests and the Levites 
took up the Ark and carried it into the Temple, 
and set it under the wings of two gold cheru- 
bim which Solomon had placed there. They 
were so large that their outspread wings nearly 
covered the Ark. 

In this sacred chest they still found the two 
tables of stone which Moses had received from 
God's hand when he went to talk with him on 
Mount Sinai. 

As soon as the priests had left the Holy Place, 
the glory of God filled it in the form of a cloud. 
This was so bright that the priests could not 
stand before it to perform their services. 

Then Solomon stood forth in all his royal 
robes, and when he had blessed the people, he 
spread his hands toward heaven and made a sol- 
emn prayer, giving to the Lord the house which 
he had built. He asked that God would still 
dwell there and from that place would always 
hear the cry of his people when they called to him. 

After the prayer was ended, Solomon and all 
the people made a sacrifice unto the Lord, of 
twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and 
twenty thousand sheep. In this way they offered 



KING SOLOMON THE WISE 165 

their new and beautiful Temple to the service of 
the Lord. 

Then Solomon made a great feast, to which 
the people came from all over the land, and it 
lasted many days. On the eighth day he sent 
the people away, and they went to their tents, 
glad and joyful of heart for all the goodness of 
the Lord to Israel. 

After a while the Lord appeared again a second 
time to Solomon, as he did at Gibeon when he 
first became king. This time the appearance was 
for warning. God said to him that if he obeyed 
his commands and walked in the ways of David 
his father, then he would live a prosperous life, 
and his kingdom would last for a long time. 
But if he lived a wicked life, and went after 
the strange gods of the heathen people around 
him, then God would forsake him, and his king- 
dom would come to an end. 

King Solomon grew more rich and powerful 
as time went on ; and his ships sailed to the un- 
known land of Ophir, and brought him from 
there at one time four hundred and twenty 
talents of gold. 

Tidings of the splendor in which this wise 
king of Israel lived came to the ears of the 
queen of Sheba, whose dominions were in the 
land of Arabia. 



166 BIBLE STORIES 

She wanted to see for herself if all these 
wonderful stories which she had heard were 
true, so she started upon her long journey to 
Jerusalem, with a very great train. She wanted 
to make Solomon a costly present, so we are 
told that the "camels bare spices, and very 
much gold and precious stones." 

When the queen was shown into Solomon's 
presence, she asked him many hard questions, 
and he was able to answer every one of them 
correctly. When she saw Solomon's beautiful 
palace, and the splendid Temple which he had 
built for the worship of God, and when she 
saw the rich clothing that even his servants 
w^ore, and the attendance of his ministers upon 
him, she was astonished. She said to the king ; 
" It was a true report that I heard in mine own 
land, of thy acts, and of thy wisdom. Behold 
the half was not told me : thy wisdom and pros- 
perity exceedeth the fame which I heard." 

The queen's present to King Solomon was a 
hundred and twenty talents of gold and costly 
spices a great store, and precious stones. Solo- 
mon never again received such an abundance of 
rich spices as the queen of Sheba brought him. 

Solomon gave her a generous present in re- 
turn, and she went away to her own land full 
of wonder at what she had seen. 



KING SOLOMON THE WISE 167 

Solomon wanted as costly a throne as any 
king in the world, so he ordered one made of 
ivory, and this he overlaid with gold. He made 
six steps that led up to this throne, and at the 
end of each step was a lion, so there were twelve 
lions that seemed to guard any approach to the 
king. There was nothing like this to be found 
in any other kingdom. 

The Bible tells us that King Solomon ex- 
ceeded the kings of the earth for riches and for 
wisdom ; and all the earth sought to Solomon to 
hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 

Before he had finished the building of the 
Temple he began a magnificent house for him- 
self, and it was thirteen years in building. It 
cost a great deal of money to build such rich 
and costly houses. The people were taxed to 
pay for them, and they began to weary of such 
burdens. King Solomon also forgot to walk in 
God's ways, and disobeyed him in taking many 
strange wives from the heathen people around 
him. 

By and by he began to worship the idol gods 
which these wives believed in, and he built altars 
for their worship on many of the hills about 
Jerusalem. The prophets of God and the 
priests who served in the temple were full of 
sorrow at this conduct of their king. The 



168 BIBLE STORIES 

prophets spoke out boldly against these wicked 
acts, and the people soon grew restless and 
quarrelsome. 

Solomon saw that he was losing favor with 
them, and tried in every way to get back their 
good opinion. The nations around soon heard 
of the trouble in Solomon's kingdom, and began 
to make attacks upon him. 

The king had left off serving God for so many 
years and had led such a riotous and wilful life, 
that he became an old man in appearance when 
he ought to have been full of life and vigor. In 
one of the books which he wrote, which is called 
Ecclesiastes in the Bible, he speaks of the 
vanity of this life. He wanted to warn the^ 
young against walking in his ways, and he says 
to them in this book : — 

" Remember now thy Creator in the days of 
thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor 
the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I 
have no pleasure in them." 

Solomon reigned as king of Israel for forty 
years in Jerusalem, and he must have been 
sorry for the foolish manner in which he spent 
so many of the last years of his life. 

He ends his book of good advice to the young 
by saying, ''Let us hear the conclusion of the 
whole matter : fear God and keep his command- 
ments : for this is the whole duty of man." 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 

Many of the evils which the prophets of God 
said would befall the people of Israel, if they 
forgot him and served other gods, came to pass 
after King Solomon's death. The twelve tribes 
quarrelled among themselves, and ten of them 
rebelled against Rehoboam, who was made king 
after Solomon. These tribes chose Jeroboam 
for their king, and he proved to be a bad man. 
He not only worshipped idols himself, but he 
made his people worship them also. There was 
war and strife in the land during all the years 
in which these two kings reigned, and there was 
never a king after Solomon who ruled over all 
the tribes of Israel. Most of these kings were 
evil men, and followed the example of the king 
of the rebel tribes, who is always spoken of in 
the Bible as "- Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who 
made Israel to sin." 

The worst of these bad kings was Ahab, who 
added to his wrong-doing by taking Jezebel, a 
heathen woman, for a wife. She was the 
daughter of the king of Zidon, and worshipped 

169 



170 BIBLE STORIES 

Baal, the idoj god of her people. She soon made 
Ahab build altars for his worship in the land of 
Israel, and they appointed hundreds of priests 
to serve in the worship and offer the sacrifices. 
Sometimes human victims were burned upon 
Baal's altars, while the worshippers during the 
dreadful scene would dance around, cutting them- 
selves with knives and howling as if they were 
mad people. 

Far away in the mountains of Gilead lived 
Elijah the Tishbite. His home was among the 
Bedouin Arabs, but he had heard in some way 
of the God of Israel and had learned to worship 
and serve him. He was chosen as a prophet to 
carry God's message to the people who had so 
sadly gone astray. 

One day Ahab suddenly met this strange 
prophet from the mountains. His long hair 
fell about his shoulders, and his only cloth- 
ing was a girdle made of skins, which he drew 
tightly around him when he wished to walk or 
run. He carried with him a mantle made of 
skins, with which he sometimes covered his face. 

This fierce-looking man ran swiftly towards 
Ahab, and boldly cried out, ''As the Lord God 
of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall 
not be dew nor rain these three years, but accord- 
ing to my word." 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 171 

It is quite likely that Ahab told Jezebel of 
this strange meeting with a new prophet and 
of the message which he gave. It may be it 
was at this time that she gave the order for 
all the prophets of Israel's God to be slain. 
Elijah's life must have been in danger, for the 
word of the Lord came to him bidding him hide 
by the brook Cherith. The prophet went there 
as he was ordered, and every day the ravens 
brought him bread and meat to eat both morn- 
ing and evening. His drink was the water of 
the brook, but as there had been no rain for a 
long time it soon dried away. 

But God did not forget his faithful prophet, 
and his word came to him, saying, " Arise, get 
thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, 
and dwell there ; behold, I have commanded a 
widow woman there to sustain thee." 

When Elijah reached Zarephath he found a 
woman gathering sticks near the gate of the city. 
He was tired and thirsty from his long journey 
and called out to her, " Fetch me, I pray thee, 
a little water in a vessel, that I may drink." 
As she was going for the water he said, " Bring 
me a morsel of bread in thine hand." 

The woman was almost too astonished to 
speak, for there was such a grievous famine in 
the land that there was scarcely any bread left. 



172 BIBLE STORIES 

She said to Elijah, " As the Lord thy God liveth, 
I have not a cake, only a handful of meal in a 
barrel, and a little oil in a cruse : and, behold, 
I am gathering two sticks, that I may go and 
dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it 
and die." That was all the food she had left, 
and when that was gone she and her son must 
starve. 

Elijah told her not to fear, but go and make 
the cake as she had said ; however, to make one 
for him first and bring it to him, and afterward 
she might make one for herself and her son. 

The woman must have thought this was a 
strange and selfish request, but when the prophet 
added, " For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, 
The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither the 
cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord 
sendeth rain upon the earth," her heart must 
have been filled with joy. 

She trusted the Lord so fully that she went 
and did as Elijah directed her, and he stayed 
there with her many days. And the Bible tells 
us that " the barrel of meal wasted not, neither 
did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of 
the Lord by Elijah." 

One day while the prophet was a guest at 
this woman's house her son was taken very ill, 
and in a short time he died. In her sorrow the 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 173 

mother thought that it might be " the man of 
God," as she called Elijah, was in some way the 
cause of her child's death. 

Elijah wanted to comfort and reassure her, 
and so he kindly said to her, " Give me thy 
son." The prophet carried the dead child up 
to his own room and laid him upon his bed. 
Then, when he had prayed earnestly unto the 
Lord, he stretched himself upon the child three 
times and cried out again in prayer, " O 
Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul 
come to him again." We are told that the 
Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul 
of the child came into him again and he re- 
vived. 

We can imagine with what delight the mother 
received him when Elijah brought him down 
from his chamber, and placing him in her arms 
said, " See, thy son liveth." We cannot wonder 
that she exclaimed, "Now by this I know that 
thou art a man of God, and that the word of 
the Lord in thy mouth is truth." 

The famine continued for three years as 
Elijah had said, and near the close of the last 
year, the word of the Lord came to him, and he 
was commanded, "Go show thyself to Ahab; 
and I will bring rain upon the earth." 

The famine was so dreadful everywhere that 



174 BIBLE STORIES 

the horses and cattle were in danger of dying 
of hunger and thirst, so Ahab and Obadiah went 
each to different parts of the land to see if 
there was not somewhere grass enough to save 
the poor creatures' lives. 

While Obadiah was upon this errand Elijah 
met him, and he knew the prophet at once, and 
falling upon his face before him said, " Art 
thou my lord Elijah ? " 

The prophet answered, " I am ; go tell thy 
lord, Behold, Elijah is here." 

But Obadiah was afraid to do this, for the 
prophet went so swiftly from one place to an- 
other, that Ahab might come to meet him and 
find he had gone away again. He would think 
then that Obadiah had told him a falsehood, 
and perhaps would slay him. 

But Elijah said, "As the Lord of hosts liveth, 
before whom I stand, I will surely show myself 
to him to-day.*' Obadiah believed these solemn 
words and went directly and gave the prophet's 
message to Ahab. The king had been seeking 
Elijah everywhere, and he was glad of the chance 
to go out and meet him. His heart was bitter 
against him, for he blamed him for the famine 
that had so distressed the people. "Art thou 
he that troubleth Israel ? " he asked in an angry 
voice. 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 175 

Elijah boldly answered, '' I have not troubled 
Israel ; but thou and thy father's house, in that 
ye have forsaken the commandments of the 
Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim." 

Then Elijah commanded him to gather all 
Israel to Mount Carmel, and with them must 
come the four hundred and fifty prophets of 
Baal that Jezebel kept for the service of 
her god, and whom she daily fed from her 
table. 

Ahab did as the prophet directed, and a great 
company of people, including the four hun- 
dred and fifty prophets of Baal, gathered upon 
the mountain. 

Elijah stood forth and said to the crowds 
before him : " How long halt ye between two 
opinions ? If the Lord be God, follow him : but 
if Baal, then follow him." 

This was a fair question, but the people 
answered him not a word. The time to prove 
which was the true God had come, and Elijah 
said to the people, '' I, even I, only remain of the 
prophets of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 
four hundred and fifty men." 

Then he told them to bring him two bullocks, 
and Baal's prophets might choose whichever one 
they wished ; this they were to kill and dress 
and lay upon the altar where the wood had been 



176 BIBLE STOKIES 

made ready for the sacrifice, but no fire must 
be put under it. 

Elijah said that he would prepare the other 
bullock in the same way, and put no fire under 
it. The prophets of Baal might call upon 
their god, and he would call upon the God of 
Israel, and the one who should answer by send- 
ing fire from heaven, should be known as the 
true God. 

The people were all pleased with this plan 
and said, " It is well spoken." The prophets of 
Baal prepared their altar, and after laying the 
bullock upon it, they cried all day unto their 
god. From morning until night they cried, 
" O Baal, hear us." They became almost frantic 
because no answer came, and wildly jumped 
upon the altar. 

Elijah, who was standing by, said to them in 
a mocking voice, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; 
either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is 
on a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth and 
must be awaked." 

This made them more angry and excited, and 
they not only cried the louder, but they cut their 
flesh with knives and lancets, and made them- 
selves hideous by the blood which flowed from 
their wounds. 

When evening came and no answer had been 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 177 

given by Baal, Elijah commanded the people 
to come near to him. Then taking twelve stones, 
one for each of the tribes of Israel, he built an 
altar in the name, of the Lord, and made a 
trench all around it. Then he placed the wood 
upon the altar, and on it he laid the bullock 
which he had cut in pieces. Over all this he 
poured water. He told those who were help- 
ing him in this work to do it for the second 
and third times, and the water thus freely 
poured out ran all about the altar and filled the 
trench. 

When the time for the evening sacrifice had 
come and all was ready, Elijah drew near the 
altar and made this prayer : " Lord God of 
Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be 
known this day that thou art God in Israel, 
and that I am thy servant, and that I have done 
all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, 
hear me, that this people may know that thou 
art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned 
their heart back again." 

Then a most wonderful thing happened. Fire 
fell from heaven, and not only consumed all 
the burnt sacrifice, but the wood and the dust 
and even the stones, and it licked up the 
water that was in the trench about the altar. 

When the people saw it they were filled with 



178 



BIBLE STORIES 



astonishment and fear, and fell upon their faces, 
crying out, '^ The Lord, he is God; The Lord, 
he is God." 

Then Elijah told the people to seize these 
wicked prophets of Baal, and take them away 
to the brook Kishon, and slay them. 

There had been no rain for three years, just 
as Elijah had said. He knew that God's prom- 
ise was sure, and so, at the close of the last year, 
he sent word to Ahab that " there was the sound 
of an abundance of rain." 

The prophet went again upon Mount Carmel, 
where the fire from God had so wonderfully 
fallen, and there waited for some sign of the 
rain. He sent his servant out to watch the sky, 
and look towards the sea for a cloud. He soon 
came back with the words, " There is nothing." 
But Elijah had strong faith and believed that 
what God had promised he would surely per- 
form, and so he bade the servant go seven times 
more. At the seventh time he came back with 
the message that " a little cloud was rising out 
of the sea, like a man's hand." 

Elijah sent word to Ahab that he must pre- 
pare his chariot and hasten away, or he might 
be stopped by the rain. The sky soon grew 
black with clouds and wind, and there was a 
great rain. All the people must have believed 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 179 

that there was a God in Israel and that he had 
spoken to them through his prophet Elijah. 

When Jezebel was told of the scene upon 
Mount Carmel, and of what had happened to 
the prophets of Baal, she was very angry and 
sent a message to Elijah that she would take his 
life also. The prophet seemed strangely afraid 
of the threat of this wicked woman, and fled 
to Beersheba. Leaving his servant there, he 
went a whole day's journey away into the wil- 
derness, and, faint and weary, he sat down under 
a juniper tree. He was so tired that he lost 
his courage for a while, and cried out, almost 
in despair, " It is enough : now, O Lord, take 
away my life ; for I am no better than my 
fathers." 

At last the poor weary prophet fell asleep, 
and as he lay there under the juniper tree, an 
angel awoke him and said to him, "Arise and 
eat." Elijah may have thought at first that 
nothing could be found to eat away off there in 
the wilderness. But as he looked about him, 
lo ! there was a cake that had been baked 
upon the coals, and a cruse of water near his 
head. 

He ate of the food thus provided for him, and 
sank down to sleep again. The angel once more 
awoke him and told him to eat again, for he had 



180 BIBLE STORIES 

been on a long journey and needed the strength 
which the food would give him. Elijah found 
the words of the angel true, and the food sus- 
tained him many days. 

Once again, when Elijah became discouraged 
as he thought how many idol worshippers there 
were in Israel, and how few prophets were left, 
he was comforted and cheered by God's word 
to him. He assured the prophet that all the 
people had not left off serving him, for there 
were seven thousand men yet who had never 
bowed their knees to Baal. 

Elijah needed a helper in his work as aprophet, 
and God sent him to find Elisha, the son of 
Shaphat. This man was ploughing in his field 
when Elijah came to him and threw upon his 
shoulders the mantle which he carried. By 
this sign Elisha knew that he was to follow the 
prophet and become his assistant. 

Elijah lived yet for many years, and when the 
time came for him to depart he was taken to 
heaven in a wonderful manner. One day Elijah 
told Elisha that he had been directed by the 
Lord to go to the river Jordan, and Elisha 
wishing to go also they went on together. As 
they wanted to cross the river Elijah took off 
his mantle, and wrapping it together into a sort 
of staff, he smote the waters and they divided. 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 181 

SO that they passed the bed of the river on dry 
land. 

Elijah knew that he must soon leave his 
friend, and he said to him, " Ask what I shall 
do for thee, before I be taken away from thee." 
And Elisha said, " I pray thee, let a double por- 
tion of thy spirit be upon me." We shall see 
hereafter how this good wish seemed to have 
been granted him. 

As they were walking along together, sud- 
denly a chariot of fire appeared, and horses of 
fire, and the two prophets were parted from 
each other, and the Bible tells us that " Elijah 
went up by a whirlwind into heaven." 

When Elisha saw his master leave him in 
this manner, he cried out, "My father, my 
father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen 
thereof ! " After he could see Elijah no more, 
he rent his clothes in two pieces to show his 
great sorrow. Picking up the mantle which 
Elijah had dropped, he went back to the river 
Jordan ; and wishing to return to the opposite 
bank, he used the mantle in the same way Elijah 
had done, and lo ! as he smote the waters they 
divided, and he went over the bed of the river 
as before. 

There was a school of the prophets at Jeri- 
cho, near where Elisha crossed the Jordan, 



182 BIBLE STORIES 

and the students were called the "sons of the 
prophets." When they saw what Elisha had 
done with the mantle of his master, they said 
to one another, " The spirit of Elijah doth rest 
on Elisha." And as they came to meet him 
they bowed themselves to the ground before 
him. They, too, loved the prophet who had so 
suddenly gone from them, and they wanted 
Elisha to send them in search of him. They 
thought the Spirit of God might have taken 
him to some other place. Elisha refused them 
at first, but when they urged him so earnestly 
he at last consented. Fifty of these young 
men searched for the prophet for three days, 
and then they came back to Elisha with the 
sorrowful tidings that he was nowhere to be 
found. 

The water from the springs near Jericho 
which supplied the city was very bad, and the 
land about the springs was quite barren. One 
day Elisha took a water cruse, filled it with 
salt, and poured it into the spring. Then turn- 
ing to the people standing near, he said, " Thus 
saith the Lord, I have healed these waters ; 
there shall not thence be any more death nor 
barren land." 

As Elisha went from thence towards Bethel 
he met a band of children coming out from the 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 183 

city. He had probably taken off for a time 
the covering which he usually wore, and thus 
showed his bare head, from which the hair had 
fallen. These wicked children thought this a 
matter for fun, and, mocking him, called out, 
" Go up, thou bald head ; go up, thou bald 
head." 

Elisha turned and looked back upon them, 
and the Bible says "he cursed them in the 
name of the Lord." Their punishment was 
swift and sudden, for two bears came upon 
them from the wood, and forty-two of these 
children were torn in pieces. 

Although he was stern when reproving 
wrong-doers, yet Elisha had a kind heart, 
and was always willing to help any one in 
trouble. 

One day the widow of one of the sons of the 
prophets came to him with a sad story. A man 
to whom her husband owed money now threat- 
ened to take her two sons and make them his 
slaves in payment for the debt. 

Elisha kindly listened to her story, and then 
asked her, "What shall I do for thee ? Tell me, 
what hast thou in the house ? " 

The woman sadly replied, " Thine handmaid 
hath not a thing in the house, save a pot of 
oil." 



184 BIBLE STORIES 

Elisha told her to go and call upon her 
neighbors and borrow of them a large number 
of empty oil vessels. After she had done this 
he told her that she and her sons must shut 
themselves up in the house, and pour into the 
borrowed vessels the contents of their own oil 
pot. 

Whatever the woman thought of this strange 
command, she did just as Elisha told her. She 
kept pouring into the empty vessels until there 
were no more to fill. With a glad heart she 
went with the good news to Elisha, and he said 
to her, " Go sell the oil and pay thy debt, and 
live, thou and thy children, upon the rest." 

We may be quite sure that this widow re- 
membered Elisha with gratitude all her life. 

The prophet often made long journeys as he 
walked from place to place. One day as, weary 
and footsore, he was passing through Shunem, 
a kind woman there asked him to stop and eat 
a morsel of bread with them. He was glad to 
do so, and afterward whenever he came that 
way the prophet used to stop there for rest 
and refreshment. The woman became much at- 
tached to the kind old man, and one day she 
said to her husband : '' Behold, I perceive that 
this is a holy man of God which passeth by us 
continually. Let us make a little chamber, I 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 185 

pray thee, upon the wall, and let us set for him 
there a bed and a table and a stool and a 
candlestick ; and it shall be when he cometh 
to us he shall turn in thither." 

The little chamber was prepared as the 
woman had planned, and Elisha often found 
it a haven of rest after a long and weary 
journey. 

This woman had one son, an only child, 
and one day as he w^as out in the field 
with his father he was overcome by the heat, 
and his father carried him home and laid him 
in his mother's arms, and in a few hours he 
died. 

The first thought of the mother was to go 
and tell Elisha of her great sorrow. So she 
saddled an ass, and with her servant sped as 
swiftly as the animal would carry her to Mount 
Carmel. Elisha happened to be looking that 
way, and saw the woman coming hastily toward 
him. She ran to meet him, and falling down 
before him, she eagerly grasped his feet. Gehazi, 
Elisha's servant, tried to thrust her away, but 
the prophet said, "Let her alone, for her soul is 
vexed within her." 

When the poor woman had poured into his 
ear the story of her grief, Elisha bade Gehazi 
take the prophet's staff and go as quickly as 



186 BIBLE STORIES 

possible to Shunem, and lay it upon the face of 
the child. But the mother wanted Elisha him- 
self to go, and she said, " As the Lord liveth, 
and as thj^ soul liveth, I will not leave thee," so 
the prophet arose and followed her. 

When Elisha reached Shunem he found the 
dead child lying upon his own bed in the 
prophet's chamber. He shut himself within and 
prayed earnestly to the Lord for the life of the 
child. Then he stretched himself upon him, as 
Elisha had done to the widow's son, and after 
a while the flesh grew warm, and the life blood 
began to flow again. After sneezing seven times 
he opened his eyes, and was once again a living 
child. When Elisha called his mother and 
she saw the wonderful thing that had happened, ^ 
she fell at the prophet's feet to show her grati- 
tude, and clasping her little son in her arms, she 
went away with a happy heart. 

The tidings of these miracles which Elisha 
performed spread to other countries, and 
Naaman, the captain of the Syrian armj^, came 
one day to the prophet to be cured of his 
leprosy. This was a dreadful disease for which 
there was no remedy. Naaman heard of the 
prophet through a little servant girl, who had 
been brought to Syria as a captive from the 
land of Israel. Elisha told the captain to go 



ELIJAH AND ELISHA 187 

and wash seven times in the river Jordan, and 
he would be healed of his leprosy. Naaman 
was indignant at this command. Why should 
he be told to wash in that Httle muddy river, 
when the rivers of Damascus, where he lived, 
were so much larger and cleaner? He was 
going away in anger, when his servant urged 
him to do as the prophet wished. He said: 
" My father, if the prophet had bid thee do 
some great thing, wouldest thou not have done 
it? How much rather then when he saith to 
thee. Wash, and be clean." 

Naaman then went down and dipped himself 
seven times in the river Jordan, as Elisha had 
bidden him, and lo ! as he came out the seventh 
time his flesh was as fresh and pure as that of a 
little child. 

The Syrian captain wanted to pay Elisha for 
healing him, but the prophet refused, and said 
to him, " As the Lord liveth, before whom I 
stand, I will receive none." 

Naaman was so grateful to the God of Israel, 
through whose prophet he had been healed, that 
he promised never again to worship or sacrifice 
to any other god. Elisha was pleased to hear 
of Naaman's good resolve, and bade him '' Go in 
peace." 

Elisha lived to a good old age, and was 



188 BIBLE STORIES 

loved and trusted as God's faithful messenger 
to his people. Joash, who was the king of 
Israel at the time, went to see him in his last 
sickness, and when he died he wept over him, 
and buried him with honor. 



QUEEN ESTHER 

In the beautiful palace of Shushan in Persia 
king Ahasuerus made a feast unto his princes. 
The kingdom of this monarch was a large one, 
for he ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven 
provinces. 

The most noted men of Media and Persia, 
and all the nobles and princes of these provinces, 
were bidden to this feast. 

The banquet hall of the palace where it was 
held was richly and gorgeously furnished. Its 
walls were hung around with white and green 
and blue hangings. These were fastened with 
cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings 
and pillars of marble. 

The guests who were invited to a feast in 
those Eastern lands never sat at the table in 
chairs, but reclined upon couches as they ate. 
The beds or couches in the banquet hall of 
Ahasuerus were of gold and silver, and they 
stood upon a mosaic pavement of red, and blue, 
and black, and white marble. The table was 
laid with golden dishes, and the drinking vessels 

189 



190 BIBLE STORIES 

were of many different patterns and all were of 
gold. 

In another part of the palace Vashti the 
queen gave a feast to the women who belonged 
in the royal house. 

The feast of Ahasuerus lasted a long time, 
and by the seventh day the king was merry 
with having drunk so much wine, and became 
bold and reckless. Calling the seven chamber- 
lains who served in his presence, he bade them 
go and tell Vashti the queen to put on her royal 
robes and her queenly crown, and come to his 
feast. He wanted to show his princely guests 
the grace and beauty of the queen of Persia. 

Now, women were never permitted in those 
days to see or converse with any men except 
those of their own family. Queen Vashti heard 
this request of the king with horror. How 
could she appear before these strange men, who 
were even then holding a drunken revel? It 
was not to be thought of, and so she refused to 
come at the king's commandment. 

The monarch was astonished when he received 
the queen's answer, and "his anger burned in 
him." He sent for the wise men of his king- 
dom, who knew all about law and judgment, 
and said to them, '' What shall we do unto the 
queen Vashti according to law, because she hath 



1 



QUEEN ESTHER 191 

not performed the commandment of the king 
Ahasuerus by his chamberlains ? " 

One of the wise men replied thus to his ques- 
tion : — 

" Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to 
the king only, but also to all the princes and to 
all the people that are in all the provinces of 
the king Ahasuerus. For this deed of the queen 
shall come abroad unto all the women, so that 
they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, 
when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus 
commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in 
before him, but she came not." 

This disobedience of the queen, he thought, 
should be punished, so this wise man said, " If 
it please the king, let there go a royal command- • 
ment from him, and let it be written among the 
laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be 
not altered. That Vashti come no more before 
king Ahasuerus ; and let the king give her 
royal estate unto another." 

Whenever this decree should be heard 
throughout Persia, all the wives of the king- 
dom would " give to their husbands honor, both 
to great and small." 

The king was so pleased with this advice 
that he adopted it at once, and Vashti was sent 
from her beautiful palace home in disgrace. 



192 



BIBLE STORIES 



Among those who were in the employ of the 
king about his palace was Mordecai, a Jew, 
who sat in the king's gate. He was a captive 
that had been brought there from Jerusalem, 
and Esther his orphan cousin he brought up in 
his house, the same as if she had been his 
daughter. 

Now, when the time came for the king to 
choose another quepn in the place of Vashti, he 
sent all over the kingdom for the fairest young 
women to be brought to the palace. Among them 
came Esther, and Mordecai charged her not to 
tell that she was a Jewess, or let any one know 
that she was a captive from Jerusalem. 

The king sent each day for one of these young 
* maidens to come before him, and when Esther's 
turn came, she was so fair and beautiful that the 
king was more pleased with her than with any 
of the others ; and it is said that she " obtained 
favor in the sight of all them that looked upon 
her." 

The king loved her so well that he placed the 
royal crown upon her head, and made her queen 
instead of Vashti. He ordered a great wedding 
feast for the bride, which was called Esther's 
feast. The king made it a time of rejoicing by 
giving many prisoners their freedom, and send- 
ing royal gifts to his friends. 



QUEEN ESTHER 193 

Mordecai was pleased that Esther had found 
such favor with the king, and that she had kept 
so faithfully the secret of her birth. 

One day while Mordecai was sitting at the 
king's gate, he overheard Bigthan and Teresh, 
two of the chamberlains, lay a plot to do the 
king harm. These men were among those who 
guarded the door of the palace, and for some 
reason they had become angry with king Ahasu- 
erus, and threatened to lay violent hands upon 
him. 

As soon as Mordecai had the chance he told 
Esther of what he had heard, and she contrived 
that the news should be carried to the king in 
Mordecai's name. The king caused the matter 
to be looked into, and these men were found 
guilty and both of them were hanged; and an 
account of the affair was written in the book of 
chronicles which was kept for the king. 

Among the great men at the court of Ahasu- 
erus was Haman, the Agagite, as he was 
called. This man was vain and ambitious, 
and when the king set him above all his 
princes he was filled with pride. Haman en- 
joyed having all the king's servants bow down 
before him and do him reverence. But there was 
one man who would not bow to him, or show 
him any attention, and that was Mordecai the 



194 BIBLE STORIES 

Jew, who sat erect in the gate every day as 
Haman passed by. The king's servants noticed 
the slight which Mordecai put upon Hainan, and 
they asked him, " Why transgressest thou the 
king's commandment? " and they kept on ask- 
ing this question every day. When these ser- 
vants found that it did no good to speak to 
Mordecai about the matter, they went to Haman 
and told him that Mordecai, who treated him so 
ill, was a Jew, one of the captives from Jeru- 
salem. 

At first Haman thought that he would find 
some way to arrest Mordecai alone, but after- 
ward he formed the plan to destroy all the Jewish 
people in the king's dominions. 

Haman chose a favorable time in which to 
speak to the king, and said to him, " There is a 
certain people scattered abroad and dispersed 
among the people in all the provinces of thy 
kingdom ; and their laws are diverse from all 
people ; neither keep they the king's laws ; there- 
fore it is not for the king's profit to suffer 
them." Haman promised the king that if he 
would give a written order for these people to 
be destroyed, he would pay ten thousand talents 
of silver into the treasury of the king. 

This seemed to the king to be a fair story and 
a good offer from Haman. Surely if these people. 



QUEEN ESTHER 195 

whoever they were, had laws of their own and 
were disobeying his laws, they ought to be pun- 
ished. So the king took off his signet ring and 
gave it to Haman, and bade him carry out his 
plan. 

The scribes of the kingdom were hastily called, 
and letters were written by them to the governors 
of all the provinces, and to the rulers of every 
people in every province ; and so that no one 
might fail to read them, these letters were 
written in all the different languages of the 
people. 

These were all sent in the king's name, and 
sealed with his ring. They were carried by 
posts into all the king's provinces, and soon 
it was known that it was the purpose of Ahasu- 
erus " to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both 
old and young, little children and women." 

All this dreadful work must be done in one 
day, on the thirteenth day of the month Adar. 
All their clothing, their silver and gold, and, in 
fact, everything belonging to these Jews, was 
to be given to their captors. The people of 
every province were warned to be ready for 
this day, and the postmen were commanded by 
the king to make as much haste as possible in 
.carrying their dreadful message. 

Haman's wicked heart was filled with joy at 



196 



BIBLE STOKIES 



the success of his plot, and the king felt that 
he had done a good thing for his kingdom ; so it 
is not surprising that they sat down to drink 
wine and have a merry time together. 

When Mordecai heard the news, he was filled 
with astonishment and grief, and not only rent 
his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, but 
went out into the midst of the city, and '' cried 
out with a loud and bitter cry." 

Queen Esther's maids told her of Mordecai's 
sorrow, and she was much surprised and grieved. 
Shut up in the women's apartments in the palace 
she had heard nothing of the king's command 
concerning her people. She kindly sent cloth- 
ing to Mordecai, that he might take off the 
sackcloth and cease his mourning; but he re- 
fused to do this, and still sat at the gate in his 
soiled garments. 

Then Esther called Hatach, one of the cham- 
berlains whom the king had appointed to attend 
upon her, and sent him to Mordecai to find out 
what it was that was troubling him, and why 
he was so filled with grief. 

And Mordecai told Hatach all that had hap- 
pened unto him, and of the sum of money that 
Haman had promised to pay into the treasury 
for the destruction of the Jews. He gave 
Hatach a copy of the king's decree, and told 



QUEEN ESTHER 197 

him to give it into Esther's hands and charge 
her that she must go in and beg of the king to 
spare the lives of her people. 

When Esther had heard Hatach's report, she 
sent him back to tell Mordecai that it would 
cost her life if she did as he commanded. It 
was a rigid law of the king that no one could 
enter his presence unless sent for and invited to 
speak by his holding out to them his golden 
sceptre. She also bade Hatach to tell Mordecai 
that it had now been thirty days since she had 
been sent for by the king, and she dared not 
disobey the king's laws. 

Mordecai sent back this answer to Esther : 
" Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape 
in the king's house, more than all the Jews." 
He also told her that, if she held her peace at 
this time, her people might be delivered in some 
other way, but she herself would be destroyed. 
He added, "And who knoweth whether thou 
art come to the kingdom for such a time as 
this ? " Perhaps for this very reason she might 
have been raised up to be the queen of Persia. 

Esther was a true woman, and loved her 
country and her kindred, and so she returned 
this brave answer to Mordecai : — 

"Go, gather together all the Jews that are 
at present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and 



198 BIBLE STORIES 

neither eat nor drink three days, night or day : 
I also and my maidens will fast likewise ; and 
so will I go in unto the king, which is not 
according to the law ; and if I perish, I perish." 

Mordecai gladly went and did as Esther 
requested, and the Jews in their homes, and the 
queen in her palace, kept the solemn fast. At 
the end of the third day Esther put on her royal 
robes, and with a trembling step perhaps, but 
surely with a brave heart, she went and stood 
in the court of the king's house. As the mon- 
arch saw her standing there, she found favor in 
his eyes, and he graciously held out to her the 
golden sceptre. 

As she stepped forward to the throne and 
touched the top of the sceptre, the king kindly 
asked: "What wilt thou. Queen Esther? and 
what is thy request? It shall be even given 
thee to the half of the kingdom." 

Esther replied, "If it seem good unto the 
king, let the king and Haman come this day 
unto the banquet that I have prepared for him." 

The king was well pleased to accept her invi- 
tation, and bade Haman to make haste that he 
too might attend this banquet. 

As they were reclining there and sipping their 
wine, the king asked Esther, " What is thy peti- 
tion ? and it shall be granted thee : and what is 



QUEEN ESTHER 199 

thy request? even to the half of the kingdom 
it shall be performed." 

Esther answered that, if the king and Haman 
would come again the next day to her banquet, 
she would then ask for the favor she wished. 

The king graciously accepted the queen's 
invitation for himself and Haman, and the 
latter went out with a glad heart, only that at 
the gate there still sat Mordecai the Jew, the 
one man who dared refuse to honor him. 

Haman hastened home, and calling his wife 
and friends about him, he told them of the great 
honor that had been shown him. The king had 
already promoted him, and set him above all 
the princes of the kingdom, and now Esther, the 
queen, had chosen him, only, to sit with the 
king at her banquet on the morrow. Yet 
Haman was not satisfied, and peevishly said, 
" All this availeth me nothing, so long as I 
see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's 
gate." 

Then Zeresh, his wife, told him of a plan for 
getting rid of his enemy, and all his friends 
approved of it. She said, "Let a gallows be 
made of fifty cubits high, and to-morrow speak 
thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged 
thereon : then go thou in merrily with the king 
unto the banquet." 



200 BIBLE STORIES 

Haman thought that this was indeed a good 
plan, and he went immediately, and ordered the 
gallows put up in his own house. 

That night the king was restless and uneasy, 
and as he could not sleep, he ordered the book 
of chronicles to be brought in and read to him. 
As the reader went on he came to the record 
that told how Mordecai had given timely warn- 
ing to the king of a plot against his life. 

The king asked, " What honor and dignity 
hath been done to Mordecai for this ? " 

The servants answered, "There is nothing 
done for him." 

Haman too was sleepless. Now that the gal- 
lows was all prepared, he could not rest until 
his enemy had been hanged upon it, so he rose 
in the night and went to the king's court, so as 
to be ready to speak with him at the earliest 
moment. 

The king had hastily formed a plan for doing 
honor to Mordecai, and when his servants told 
him that Haman was in the court, he said to 
them, " Let him come in." 

Surely this prime minister of his kingdom 
was just the one to advise him in this matter. 
So as soon as Haman entered his presence the 
king said to him, " What shall be done to the 
man whom the king delighteth to honor?" 



QUEEN ESTHER 201 

Haman thought to himself, " Whom would the 
king delight to honor more than myself ? " so 
he answered promptly : — 

" Let the royal apparel be brought, which the 
king useth to wear, and the horse that the king 
rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set 
upon his head: and let this apparel and horse 
be delivered to the hand of one of the king's 
most noble princes, that they may array the 
man withal, whom the king delighteth to honor, 
and bring him on horseback through the street 
of the city, and proclaim before him. Thus 
shall it be done to the man whom the king de- 
lighteth to honor." 

With what fear and astonishment Haman 
must have heard the king's next command to 
him: — 

"Make haste and take the apparel and the 
horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mor- 
decai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate ; 
let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken." 

Haman dared not disobey, so instead of being 
honored himself, he had to array the man he so 
much hated in royal robes, and take him before 
all the people as "the man whom the king de- 
lighteth to honor." 

As soon as this mortifying service was over, 
Haman hastened home to tell his wife and friends 



202 BIBLE STORIES 

everything that had befallen him. Before he 
had hardly done speaking, the king's chamber- 
lain came for him to attend the queen's banquet. 

Esther was still in so much favor with the 
king that he asked her at this second banquet 
the same question as before : " What is thy peti- 
tion, Queen Esther ? and it shall be granted 
thee : and what is thy request ? and it shall be 
performed, even to the half of the kingdom." 

Then Esther answered: ''If I have found 
favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the 
king, let my life be given me at my petition, 
and my people at my request. For we are sold, 
I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, 
and to perish. But if we had been sold for 
bondmen or bondwomen I had held my tongue." 

The king was angry to think any one should 
threaten to destroy the queen or her people, and 
he said to Esther, " Who is he, and where is he, 
that durst presume in his heart to do so?" 

Pointing to the king's prime minister, she 
replied, " The adversary and enemy is this 
wicked Haman." 

How the haughty man must have trembled at 
these words ! Now his wicked plot could never 
be carried out, and his own life was in danger. 

The king was so angry that he rose up and 
went into the palace garden. Haman was so 



QUEEN ESTHER 203 

afraid of what might come to him, as a punish- 
ment, that he sprang up and began to plead 
for his life to the queen. In his eagerness he 
almost fell upon the couch where she was sit- 
ting. The king coming in at that moment was 
more angry than ever, to see Haman in that 
position. 

One of the chamberlains who stood by told 
the king of the gallows that Haman had put 
up for Mordecai. 

The king answered, "Hang him thereon." 
Only three words, but they meant death to the 
wicked Haman, for that night he was hanged 
upon the very gallows that he had prepared for 
the man he so much hated. 

The king soon sent for Mordecai to appear 
before him, for Esther had told him how nearly 
they were related. The ring that had been 
taken from Haman's hand the king gave to 
Mordecai, and Esther set him as a sort of ruler 
over the house of Haman. 

Although Haman could do them no more 
harm, yet the cruel law^ which he had asked the 
king to make might still be carried out. So 
Esther spoke once more to the king, and falling 
down at his feet, she begged him with tears to 
put away the mischief which he had planned for 
the Jews. 



204 BIBLE STORIES 

The king in answer graciously held out his 
golden sceptre, and Esther arose from her knees, 
with new courage in her heart. Once more she 
said: "If it please the king, and if I have 
found favor in thy sight, and the thing seem 
right before the king, and I be pleasing in his 
eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters 
devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the 
Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews 
which are in all the king's provinces. For how 
can I endure to see the evil that shall come 
upon my people ? or how can I endure to see 
the destruction of my kindred ? " 

The king kindly granted this petition and 
said to Esther and Mordecai, " Write ye also 
for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, 
and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing 
which is written in the king's name may no 
man reverse." 

Now, a law of the Medes and Persians could 
never be changed, but it was possible to prevent 
the evil intended by Haman in one way: by 
arming the Jews and bidding them to get to- 
gether and kill the men who should come to 
kill them. This was quickly done. The good 
tidings that the king had issued this new order 
which would prevent the destruction of the 
Jews was carried to every province of his king- 



QUEEN ESTHER 205 

dom as fast as possible. The postmen were sent 
out on horses and mules and even on camels and 
young dromedaries. They were commanded to 
hasten on their journey that no harm might come 
to the queen's people. 

The Bible tells us that in every province and 
in every city wherever the king's commandment 
went, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and 
a good day, for the life of the nation was saved. 

The king gave even more honor to Mordecai 
than he had given to Haman. Mordecai went 
out from his presence, clad in royal apparel of 
blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, 
and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the 
city of Shushan where he lived rejoiced in his 
good fortune. 

Mordecai proved so faithful and true, that he 
was promoted from one place to another, until 
he was next in rank to King Ahasuerus. He 
was not only honored in the kingdom, but he 
was regarded as a great and good man by the 
Jews, who had so much occasion to love and 
trust him. 

The day of their deliverance has been always 
kept as a feast-day in memory of the good 
Queen Esther, who saved the lives of her people 
at the peril of her own. 



THE STORY OF JOB 

This story, as it is found in the Bible, is 
thought to be one of the oldest there, and it has 
in it many beautiful poems. It tells of a good 
man who saw a great deal of trouble and sorrow, 
but who loved and trusted God through it all. 

The home of Job was in the land of Uz : just 
where that was we can never know exactly, but 
it was probably in Arabia or Mesopotamia. The 
manners and customs of the people among whom 
he lived show us that it was in the far East, and 
the scene of the story was laid in those early 
times when every father was a sort of ruler or 
prince over his own family. Job was one of 
these patriarchs or princes, and he was one of 
the richest and most honored men in the land. 
He lived in a tent or some sort of movable house, 
as all the people did then, but we may be sure 
it was furnished with all the comforts that such 
a rich man could afford. 

Job had a large family of seven sons and three 
daughters, and they all lived near their father, 
and had pleasant times visiting each other. He 

206 



THE STORY OF JOB 207 

was rich in flocks and herds, for he had seven 
thousand sheep and three thousand camels and 
five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred asses, 
and a very great number of servants, so, as the 
Bible tells us, he was the greatest man of the East. 

His sons had merry times at their houses, 
and they took turns in visiting one another and 
feasting together. Their sisters also met and 
ate and drank with them at their feasts. When 
their days of merrymaking were over. Job used 
to rise very early on the next morning and offer 
burnt offerings for them all. He was afraid 
they might have done wrong secretly, for he 
said, ''- It may be that m}^ sons have sinned, and 
cursed God in their hearts." 

We read in the Bible that on a certain day 
"the sons of God came to present themselves 
before the Lord, and Satan came also among 
them." He is that wicked spirit that was once 
an angel in heaven, and when he became a 
sinner by disobeying God he was sent away 
from his beautiful home in disgrace, and has 
ever since been trying to make others as bad as 
himself. 

As Satan appeared before him God said to 
him, "Whence comest thou?" and Satan an- 
swered, "From going to and fro in the earth, 
and from walking up and down in it." 



208 BIBLE STORIES 

If he had been roaming about the earth and 
seeing how people were living and what they 
were doing, surely he must have noticed Job. 
So God said to him, '^ Hast thou considered my 
servant Job, that there is none like him in the 
earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that 
feareth God and escheweth evil?" 

But Satan was such an evil spirit himself he 
could not believe there was any real goodness 
of heart in others. So he replied, " Doth Job 
serve God for naught ? " He also said that God 
had given Job so many blessings, and had so 
increased his riches, that he served him only on 
this account. " But put forth thy hand now," 
said Satan, " and touch all that he hath, and he 
will curse thee to thy face." 

We are told that Satan was permitted to try 
Job in this way, and God said to him, " Behold 
all that he hath is in thy power; only upon 
himself put not forth thy hand." He might 
take his family and his riches from him, but his 
health and his life must be spared. So as Satan 
went forth from the presence of the Lord his 
evil heart was filled with a wicked joy, that he 
was allowed to bring trouble and sorrow upon 
a good man. 

One day while the children were having a 
feast in the house of the eldest son a messenger 



THE STORY OF JOB 209 

came to Job with bad news. He said: "The 
oxen were ploughing and the asses feeding beside 
them : and the Sabeans fell upon them and took 
them away; yea, they have slain the servants 
with the edge of the sword ; and I only am 
escaped alone to tell thee." 

This messenger had hardly done speaking 
when another came running in haste and said: 
" The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath 
burned up the sheep, and the servants, and con- 
sumed them 5 and I only am escaped alone to 
tell thee." 

Even while this man was speaking there came 
another, and his message was ; " The Chaldeans 
made out three bands and fell upon the camels, 
and have carried them away, yea, and slain the 
servants with the edge of the sword ; and I only 
am escaped alone to tell thee." 

This was not the end of the bad news, for 
still another messenger came, and his story was 
the worst of all. He said to Job : " Thy sons 
and thy daughters were eating and drinking in 
their eldest brother's house: and behold, there 
came a great wind from the wilderness, and 
smote the four corners of the house, and it fell 
upon the young men, and they are dead ; and I 
only am escaped alone to tell thee." 

If Satan was waiting around unseen to find 



210 BIBLE STORIES 

out what Job would say, he heard no cursing 
from his lips, nor a word of complaint. Instead 
of that, Job rose up, and rending his mantle and 
shaving his head he fell down and worshipped 
God. He said, " The Lord gave, and the Lord 
hath taken away; blessed be the name of the 
Lord." We read that "in all this Job sinned 
not, nor charged God foolishly." 

It is said that on another day the sons of God 
came before him, and Satan again came with 
them. God asked him, as before, if he had con- 
sidered his servant Job, that he was still perfect 
and upright, although Satan had been allowed to 
bring such dreadful sorrows upon the good man. 
But Satan would not admit that there was any 
unselfish goodness in Job. He might bear pa- 
tiently the loss of riches, and the loss of his 
children, but if God should send sickness upon 
him, he would curse God like the others, and 
become as bad as any one else. 

So we are told that the Lord said to Satan, 
" Behold, he is in thine hand ; but save his 
life." 

Then Satan went out and sent upon Job a 
dreadful disease, which made great boils break 
out all over his body. They covered him from 
the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 
He was so ill from this loathsome disease that 



THE STORY OF JOB 211 

he went away by himself and sat down among 
the ashes. 

This last trouble was more than his wife could 
bear, and she wanted Job to do the very thing 
that Satan hoped he would do, that is, to " Curse 
God and die." 

But Job told her she was speaking foolishly ; 
he said, '^ What, shall we receive good at the 
hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" 
So even in all this trouble Job did not "sin 
with his lips." 

News of what had befallen him soon reached 
the good man's friends, and three of them — Eli- 
phaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and 
Zophar the Naamathite — came each from the 
place where he lived to see him. They had 
agreed with each other to come together " to 
mourn with him and to comfort him." They 
pretended to feel the greatest sorrow for their 
sick friend, and when they were afar off, it is 
said, "they lifted up their voice and wept." 
Every one rent his mantle, and to show their deep 
grief they sprinkled ashes upon their heads. 

When they arrived where Job was sitting they 
sat down with him upon the ground, and seeing 
how full of pain and distress he was, they sat 
.there seven days and nights without speaking 
to him. This was certainly a strange way of 



212 BIBLE STOBIES 

showing their sympathy, and Job must have be- 
come tired of their long silence. 

At last he spoke to them and said he was now 
sorry that he had ever been born. " The thing," he 
said, " which I greatly feared is come upon me, and 
that which I was afraid of is come unto me." 

Then Eliphaz spoke, and chose a very poor 
way to comfort his suffering friend. He tried 
to make Job believe that God never sent trouble 
and sorrow upon persons unless it was to punish 
them. He thought that Job must have sinned 
and done something very wrong, and so this loss 
and suffering had been sent upon him. 

Job tried to convince Eliphaz that he had not 
knowingly done wrong. " Teach me," he said, 
'' and I will hold my tongue, and cause me to 
understand wherein I have erred." He told his 
friend that people were not always punished 
as soon as they had done wrong, that God was 
always just in his dealings with men. 

Bildad the Shuhite spoke even more harshly 
than Eliphaz, for he asked Job in a fault-find- 
ing way, '' How long wilt thou speak these 
things ? " and he assured him that God would 
not cast away a perfect man, nor help those who 
did evil. So of course Job must have sinned 
greatly to have God punish him so severely. 

Job answered him in much the same way as 



THE STORY OF JOB 213 

he did Eliphaz. He would not say that God 
sent trouble upon the wicked only, neither would 
he complain of his dealings with himself. In 
speaking of God, he said, " For he is not a man, 
as I am, that I should answer him, and we should 
come together in judgment." 

Then the third friend, Zophar the Naamathite, 
spoke, and his speech was more discouraging 
than all the others. He not only thought that 
Job's present sufferings were just, but he said 
even worse things would befall him. 

But Job still kept his faith in God's love and 
care. He denied that he had led an ungodly 
life, and said he had never gone astray from 
God or ceased to pray to him. 

Then these three friends went over the whole 
matter again, and at last Eliphaz accused Job of 
committing dreadful crimes. His suffering and 
afflictions had been so great that he must have 
been a great sinner. 

We cannot wonder that Job should say to 
them, " I have heard many such things ; miser- 
able comforters are ye all." Then Job went on 
to tell them of his manner of life before his 
afflictions came. He said that when he went 
through the streets, the young men stepped aside 
for him, and even aged men rose up and stood 
before him. . Princes and nobles were silent in 



214 BIBLE STORIES 

his presence, because he was held in such high 
honor by all. Blessings were bestowed upon 
him, he said, " Because I delivered the poor 
that cried, and him that had none to help him. 
The blessing of him that was ready to perish 
came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart 
to sing for joy. I was eyes to the blind and feet 
to the lame. I was a father to the poor." 

Then Job spoke of the great change that had 
come upon him. Young men who once bowed 
before him with reverence now looked upon 
him with scorn. He said, "Now I am their 
song, yea, I am their by-word. They abhor me, 
and spare not to spit in my face." He cried out 
in his sorrow, " Oh that one would hear me, that 
the Almighty would answer me ! " 

The three friends of Job refused to speak to 
him any more, ''because he was righteous in 
his own eyes." 

At last Job's wish was granted, for the Bible 
tells us that God answered Job out of the whirl- 
wind. No more grand or beautiful words were 
ever spoken. He speaks of all the wonderful 
works which he created, of the mountains and 
the valleys, and of the stars and of the constel- 
lations in the heavens. He speaks of how the 
rain is formed ; '' he maketh small the drops of 
water, they pour down rain according to the 



THE STORY OF JOB 215 

vapor thereof. God thundereth marvellously 
with his voice : great things doeth he which we 
cannot comprehend : he saith to the snow, be 
thou on the earth, likewise to the small rain and 
the great rain of his strength." He speaks of 
the beasts of the field and of the monsters of the 
sea, and he gives us this wonderful description 
of the war-horse : — 

" Hast thou given the horse strength? hast 
thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst 
thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The 
glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in 
the valley and rejoiceth in his strength : he goeth 
on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at 
fear and is not affrighted ; neither turneth he 
back from the sword. The quiver rattleth 
against him, the glittering spear and the shield. 
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and 
rage : neither believeth he that it is the sound 
of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets. 
Ha, ha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, 
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting." 

After God had done speaking of all the won- 
derful things which he had made, and of his 
gracious dealings with his earthly creatures. Job 
meekly replied that God had said that which he 
did not quite understand. 

" I have heard of thee," Job said, "by the hear- 



216 BIBLE STORIES 

ing of the ear ; but now mine eye seeth thee. 
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust 
and ashes." 

God forgave Job for the words of despair 
which he spoke in his distress, but he was much 
displeased with his three friends. He said to 
Eliphaz the Temanite, " My wrath is kindled 
against thee and against thy two friends ; for ye 
have not spoken of me the thing that is right, 
as my servant Job hath." 

So these three men were told to take seven 
bullocks and seven rams to Job and offer them 
as a burnt offering for their sin. And God said 
to them, " My servant Job shall pray for you : 
for him will I accept." 

They all did as God commanded them, and 
Job's prayer was answered and he was accepted. 

Job had passed through great trials, but now 
they were all over, and God gave him back his 
health. Not only that, but he was made twice 
as rich as he was before. 

Then all his friends and acquaintances who 
had forsaken him in his trouble came to him 
again, and Job's generous heart forgave them 
for their neglect, for they ate bread with him 
in his house, and he received their good wishes, 
and listened to their words of comfort. Each 
of them brought him a present of an earring of 



THE STORY OF JOB 217 

gold and a piece of money. He had as many 
camels and sheep and oxen as before, and the 
Lord gave him other sons and daughters in 
place of those who had been killed ; and in all 
the land there were no daughters fairer than 
those of Job. 

Truly, as the Bible says, "the Lord blessed 
the latter end of Job more than the beginning." 
He lived after this an hundred and forty years, 
and saw four generations of his children, "and 
he died, being old and full of days." 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 

Many times by the word of his prophets God 
had assured his people that if they forgot him 
and worshipped the gods of the heathen, and 
became wicked like them, their enemies would 
be allowed to attack them and their kingdom 
would be destroyed. They gave little heed to 
these warnings, and so in the third year of the 
reign of Jehoiakini, king of Judah, he was at-, 
tacked by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, 
who came with his army of trained soldiers 
and besieged Jerusalem. 

This invasion wa's sent as a punishment to 
the Jews, for we are told " The Lord gave 
Jehoiakim into the hands of the king of Baby- 
lon." Not only was the king carried as a cap- 
tive to Babylon with many of his subjects, but 
some of the sacred vessels of the Temple were 
taken there, and put in the house of the heathen 
god of Nebuchadnezzar. 

Some of their captives were of royal blood, 
so the king told one of his officers to choose 
from among them those who were the most 

218 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FKIENDS 219 

suitable to enter his service. He wanted them 
" to be well favored, and skilful in all wisdom, 
and cunning in knowledge, and understanding 
science." He wanted, too, such as had ability 
in them to stand in the king's palace, to whom 
they might teach the learning and the tongue 
of the Chaldeans. 

These young men were to be furnished with 
food and wine from the king's table. They 
were to study in the palace for three years, and 
at the end of that time they were expected to 
be ready to serve him. 

Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, 
and his three friends, who w^ere named Shadrach, 
Meshach, and Abednego, were the ones chosen 
by the king. 

The head officer who had charge of these 
young men became much attached to Daniel, 
and had for him a tender love ; so Daniel ven- 
tured to ask of him a favor. The meats that 
were furnished by the king were such as these 
Jewish captives had been taught were unclean. 
So Daniel asked the officer if he might set aside 
the meats given him by the king, and eat more 
simple food. 

The officer listened kindly to his request, but 
told him if he allowed him to do this, he was 
afraid that Daniel would not be properly nour- 



220 BIBLE STORIES 

ished. If he became thin in flesh, and his health 
failed, the officer in charge would be blamed, 
and his life would be in danger. 

Daniel was quite sure that nothing of this 
kind would happen, so he asked the officer to 
let himself and his three friends make the trial 
of eating simple food for ten days. At the end 
of that time he could compare them with those 
who ate of the king's meat, and he could then 
|iell if it had done them any harm. 

So these four young men ate pulse only, for 
their food, and drank pure water instead of wine. 
When the ten days of trial were ended, " their 
countenances appeared fairer, and fatter in flesh, 
than all the children that did eat of the king's 
meat." 

Then the officer granted the request of Daniel, 
and their portion of meat was taken from them, 
and they were allowed after that to eat the food 
which they liked best. 

God gave them wisdom, too, as well as bodily 
health, and when they were brought before 
King Nebuchadnezzar at the end of three years 
of study, he found there was none like them. 

It is said that in all matters of wisdom and 
understanding, the king found them better 
than all the magicians and astrologers in the 
realm. 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 221 

Not long after Daniel entered the service of 
Nebuchadnezzar the king had a strange dream, 
which made him troubled and anxious. He 
called for all the magicians and the wise men of 
his kingdom, who Avere supposed to know about 
such things, to see if they could tell what the 
dream meant. The king said to them, " I have 
dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to 
know the dream." These Chaldean wise men 
replied, '' O king, live forever ; tell thy servants 
the dream, and we will show the interpretation." 

But the king had forgotten what it was, and 
he told these men that unless they could tell 
him the dream, and also what it meant, they 
should be cut in pieces and their houses de- 
stroyed. " But," he said, " if ye show the 
dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall 
receive of me gifts and rewards of great honor : 
therefore show me the dream, and the inter- 
pretation thereof." 

The Chaldeans again assured the king that if 
he could tell them what the dream was, they could 
explain its meaning. He still insisted that if 
they knew as much as they pretended, they could 
tell him the dream as well as its meaning. The 
Chaldeans replied, " There is not a man on the 
earth that can show the king's matter." They 
said too, '' There is no king, lord, or master that 



222 BIBLE STORIES 

asked such things of any magician or astrolo- 
ger." It was a strange and impossible thing 
which the king asked, and no one could show 
it before him but the gods, and they were not 
living on the earth. 

The king was so angry with these men that 
he sent forth a decree that all the wise men of 
the kingdom of Babylon should be slain. 

Now Daniel was known to be among these 
wise men, and when Arioch, the captain of the 
king's guard, came to take him away with the 
others, he asked him, " Why is the decree so 
hasty from the king ? " Then the captain told 
Daniel all that had happened, and how the 
wise men had failed to tell the king about his 
dream. 

Daniel went bravely in before Nebuchad- 
nezzar, and said that if he would give him time 
he would show the meaning of the dream. He 
knew he could not do this in his own strength, 
so he went to his three friends, Shadrach, 
Meshach, and Abednego, and asked them to 
pray to the God of heaven for him, that he 
might know the secret of the king's dream, and 
then they would not perish with the rest of the 
wise men of Babylon. God heard and answered 
their prayer, for on that very night the secret 
was made known to Daniel in a dream. His 



DANIEL AND HIS THBEE FKIENDS 223 

heart was filled with thanksgiving, and he cried 
out: "Blessed be the name of God for ever and 
ever, for wisdom and might are his. I thank 
thee and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, 
who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast 
made known unto me now what we desired of 
thee, for thou hast now made known unto us 
the king's matter." 

Daniel then went in and told Arioch, the 
captain of the guard, not to destroy the wise 
men of Babylon, for he would go in and in- 
terpret the king's dream. Arioch hastened to 
bring Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar, for he 
was furiously angry that no one could be found 
to do what he wished. The captain said to 
him, " I have found a man of the captives of 
Judah who can make known unto the king the 
interpretation." 

The king asked Daniel, " Art thou able to 
make known unto me the dream which I have 
seen, and the interpretation thereof?" 

Daniel replied that the secret which he asked 
of the astrologers and the wise men could not 
be told by them. "But," he said, "there is 
a God in heaven that revealeth secrets and 
maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar 
what shall be in the latter days." 

Then Daniel went on to tell the king all 



224 BIBLE STORIES 

about his dream, which was of a great and 
terrible image that was made of gold and brass 
and iron and clay. 

He explained that all these different materials 
of the image represented as many kingdoms, and 
he foretold what would become of each of them. 
He ended by saying that the dream was certain, 
and the meaning of it sure. 

It is said that Nebuchadnezzar was so pleased 
at what had been revealed to him that he fell 
upon his face before Daniel in reverence, and 
commanded that an offering of sweet odors 
should be made to him. He cried out, '' Of a 
truth it is that your God is a God of gods, and 
a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, see- 
ing thou couldest reveal this secret." 

The king could hardly do enough for this wise 
young man, and he gave him many great gifts, 
and made him ^' ruler over the whole province 
of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all 
the wise men of Babylon." 

But Nebuchadnezzar must have soon forgot- 
ten how he had once praised the God of Israel, 
and placed him above all other gods, for he or- 
dered a huge golden image to be made and set 
up in the plain of Dura. Then he sent word to 
all the princes, the governors and the captains, 
the judges and the treasurers, in fact, " all the 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 225 

rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedica- 
tion of the image which he had set up." 

These men all came as they were commanded, 
and stood there before the golden image. Then 
a herald came forth and cried aloud, " To you 
it is commanded, O people and nations and lan- 
guages, that at what time ye hear the sound of 
the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulci- 
mer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and 
worship the golden image which Nebuchadnez- 
zar the king hath set up." And the herald 
added, " Whoso falleth not down and worship- 
peth, shall the same hour be cast into the midst 
of a burning fiery furnace." 

The people all listened for the first sound of 
these different musical instruments, and then 
they fell down and worshipped the image of 
gold, all but the friends of Daniel, — Shadrach, 
Meshach, and Abednego. They were the wor- 
shippers of the true God, and so would not bow 
down to this golden idol. 

Some of the Chaldeans had been watching 
these three men, and they noticed their refusal 
to obey the king. Perhaps they were among the 
wise men who had failed to tell the king about 
his dream, and they were jealous of these Jewish 
captives, who with Daniel had risen to such high 
honor. They went directly to the king and 



226 BIBLE STOEIES 

told him their story, and said that there were 
certain Jews that he had set over the affairs of 
his provinces who had disobeyed his commands. 
They said, " Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 
these men, O king, have not regarded thee : 
they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden 
image which thou hast set up." 

Nebuchadnezzar was in a great rage when he 
heard this, and commanded that these men be 
brought instantly before him. " Is it true," 
he asked, " O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- 
nego? Do not ye serve my gods, or worship 
the golden image which I have set up ? " 

The king gave them one more chance, and 
assured them that if they gave heed to his com- 
mand, and worshipped the image, it would be 
well with them, but if they refused they should 
be cast into the fiery furnace ; '' and who," he 
proudly said, ''is that God that shall deliver 
you out of my hands?" 

The men bravely replied : " O Nebuchadnezzar, 
we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to 
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and 
he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that 
we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the 
golden image thou hast set up." 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 227 

Nebuchadnezzar was more angry than ever at 
this answer, and gave orders that the furnace 
should be heated seven times hotter than it was 
wont to be heated. Then he commanded the 
most mighty men in his army to bind the three 
men and cast them into the furnace. 

The men seized their victims right there upon 
the plain, and binding them fast with all their 
clothing upon them, threw them into the midst 
of the furnace. It had been made so intensely 
hot that the flames burned the men who were 
doing this dreadful work. But it did no harm 
to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who fell 
bound into the flames. 

The king was so astonished that he called out 
to know if these men had really been put into 
the furnace as he directed, and his counsellors 
answered, " True,. O king." Then he said, " Lo, 
I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the 
fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of 
the fourth is like the Son of God." 

The king himself came near to the furnace, 
and cried out to the men whom he saw there, 
" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye ser- 
vants of the most high God, come forth, and 
come hither." 

As these men stepped from the furnace all 
the people could see that no harm had come 



228 BIBLE STORIES 

to them ; their hair was not singed, and their 
clothing was not even scorched. 

Nebuchadnezzar said, " Blessed be the God of 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath 
sent his angel, and delivered his servants that 
trusted in him." And he made a decree that 
every people, nation, and language which spoke 
anything amiss against the God of these men 
should be cut in pieces and their houses be 
laid waste. '' Because," he said, " there is no 
other God that can deliver after this sort." 

After this Nebuchadnezzar had another strange 
dream. He saw a tree standing in the midst of 
the earth whose height was very great. And 
while he looked the tree grew larger and its 
branches higher until its top reached to heaven. 
The leaves of the tree were beautiful, and it 
bore rich fruit that was meat for all. The 
beasts of the field gathered under its shade, and 
the birds made their nests in its branches, and 
it bore such a quantity of fruit that all the 
earth was fed by it. Then Nebuchadnezzar 
dreamed that a holy one from heaven came 
down and gave this commandment, " Hew down 
the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his 
leaves, and scatter his fruit : let the beasts get 
away from under it, and the fowls from his 
branches." 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 229 

But the king dreamed that the stump was to 
be left, and this tree, which was spoken of as 
a person, should have his heart changed and a 
beast's heart given him, and all this was to 
happen, "that the living might know that the 
Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men." 

The king called before him the magicians and 
the astrologers and told them his dream. Al- 
though he could remember to tell them all about 
this dream, yet these wise men could explain 
its meaning no better than when they were 
called upon to recall the first dream. 

The king sent for Daniel and seemed quite 
sure that he could do all he wished, " for," he 
said, "the spirit of the holy gods is in thee." 

As Daniel listened to the king's words his 
face for a time wore a troubled look. But soon 
by God's help the meaning of the dream came 
to him. He told Nebuchadnezzar that the tree 
which he saw in his dream was himself. " It is 
thou, O king," he said, "that art grown and 
become strong : for thy greatness is grown, and 
reacheth unto heaven and thy dominion to the 
end of the earth." 

But Daniel assured him that the time would 
come when, like the tree, he would be cut 
down and fall to the earth, and that a beast's 
heart would one day be given him, and that he 



230 BIBLE STORIES 

would be driven from men, and made to eat 
grass like the oxen. He would live in this 
wretched way until he learned " that the Most 
High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth 
it to whomsoever he will." 

This was not a pleasant message to give the 
king, and Daniel ventured to advise him in the 
matter, and said to him, " Wherefore, O king, 
let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and 
break off thy sins by righteousness and thine 
iniquities by showing mercy to the poor." 

King Nebuchadnezzar must have given little 
heed to this good advice, for only a year after 
he is spoken of as being more proud and haughty 
than ever. As he was walking one day in his 
beautiful palace and admiring all the costly and 
precious things which he had gathered about 
him, he was so filled with pride that he boast- 
ingly said, ''Is not this great Babylon that I 
have built for the house of the kingdom by the 
might of my power, and for the honor of my 
majesty?" 

Even while he was praising himself in this 
way he heard a voice from heaven saying, " O 
king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken ; The 
kingdom is departed from thee." 

In that very hour his reason left him, and he 
became a madman. He acted so like a beast 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 231 

that he was driven away from the palace and 
out into the fields with the cattle, where he ate 
grass like them. He lived in this way a long 
time, but at last his reason returned, and he 
was in his right mind again, so that he could 
attend once more to the affairs of his kingdom. 

He acknowledged his wrong-doing and the 
justice of God in punishing him, and said, 
'' Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and 
honor the King of heaven, all whose works are 
truth, and his ways judgment: and those that 
walk in pride he is able to abase." 

The king reigned many years after this, and 
lived to be more than eighty years of age. 

Belshazzar was the next king of Babylon, 
and was fond of the luxury and splendor which 
his position gave him. One day he made a 
great feast, and invited to the palace a thou- 
sand of his lords. The table was laid with 
costly dishes of gold and silver, but he was not 
satisfied with these. He thought* it would add 
to the splendor of the feast if he could place 
before his guests the golden dishes which his 
father, Nebuchadnezzar, had brought from the 
Temple at Jerusalem. He had never dared to 
use these vessels until now, but becoming merry 
with the wine he had been so freely drinking, 
he resolved to commit this great sin. The 



232 BIBLE STORIES 

sacred vessels were sent for, and the king and 
his princes and his wives drank from them, and 
sang praises to the gods of gold and silver, of 
brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 

In the midst of this merry-making there 
suddenly appeared the fingers of a man's hand 
writing upon the wall of the palace. The 
frightened king turned deadly pale, and he 
trembled so that his knees smote together. He 
hastily sent for all the astrologers, the Chaldeans, 
and the soothsayers, and said to these wise men 
of Babylon, " Whosoever shall read this writing 
and show me the interpretation thereof shall be 
clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold 
about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in 
the kingdom." 

None of these wise men was able to tell the 
king the meaning of the writing, and he was 
more frightened than ever and his lords were 
quaking with fear. 

The queen'*s apartments were in another part 
of the palace, but she soon heard of what had 
happened, and hastened to the banquet hall. 
She too was sore afraid when she saw the mys- 
terious handwriting upon the wall, and then 
she thought of something that gave her a little 
hope of finding out what those strange words 
could mean. She said to her husband : ^' O 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 233 

king, live forever ; let not thy thoughts trouble 
thee, nor let thy countenance be changed. There 
is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit 
of the holy gods ; and in the days of thy father, 
light and understanding and wisdom, like the 
wisdom of the gods, was found in him, and 
whom Nebuchadnezzar thy father made master 
of the magicians. Now let Daniel be called, 
and h^ will show the interpretation." 

The king was only too glad to do as the 
queen advised. Daniel was hastily brought 
before them, and the king said to him : " I have 
even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods 
is in thee, and that light and understanding and 
excellent wisdom is found in thee. And now 
the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought 
in before me, that they should read this writing, 
and make known unto me the interpretation 
thereof ; but they could not show the interpre- 
tation of the thing. And I have heard of thee 
that thou canst make interpretations and dis- 
solve doubts. Now if thou canst read the writing 
and make known to me the interpretation thereof, 
thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a 
chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the 
third ruler in the kingdom." 

Then Daniel answered, "' Let thy gifts be to 
thyself, and give thy rewards to another: yet 



234 BIBLE STORIES 

I will read the writing unto the king, and make 
known to him the interpretation." 

He told Belshazzar how his father Nebuchad- 
nezzar had been punished for his idolatry and 
pride until he was taught that the most high 
God ruled in the kingdom of men ; and looking 
into the face of the guilty king Daniel added: 
" And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not 
humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all 
this, but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord 
of heaven; and they have brought the vessels 
of his house before thee, and thou and thy 
lords have drunk wine in them ; and thou hast 
praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, 
iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, 
nor know; and the God in whose hand thy 
breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou 
not glorified." 

As Daniel finished speaking the part of the 
hand upon the wall was withdrawn, and these 
words remained, — MENE, MENE, TEKEL, 
UPHARSIN. And he said to the king : " This 
is the interpretation of the thing : — MENE, 
God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished 
it. TEKEL, Thou art weighed in the balances 
and art found wanting. UPHARSIN, Thy 
kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and 
Persians." 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 235 

These must have been unwelcome words to 
• the king, and could hardly have quieted his 
fears, but he kept his promise to Daniel, and 
after clothing him in scarlet, and putting a 
chain of gold about his neck, he caused him to 
be proclaimed the third ruler in his kingdom. 

Neither the king nor Daniel had long to enjoy 
their rule, for that very night the city of Baby- 
lon was taken by the army of Cyrus the Persian, 
and Belshazzar was slain. 

Daniel found so much favor with the new 
king of Babylon that he also made him a ruler 
in his kingdom, and " he was preferred above all 
the princes because an excellent spirit was found 
in him ; and the king thought to set him over 
the whole kingdom." 

The other princes and rulers became angry 
and jealous when they saw how much favor was 
shown to Daniel. They watched him closely 
to see if some fault could not be found with the 
way he managed the king's affairs. But he was 
always so obedient and faithful in all he did, 
that these efforts were in vain. 

''We shall not find occasion against this 
Daniel," they said among themselves, " except 
we find it against him concerning the law of 
his God." 

They were not long in forming a plot to 



236 BIBLE STORIES 

make trouble for the man they hated. When 
all was ready they went together to the king, • 
and said to him : " King Darius, live forever. 
All the presidents of the kingdom, the gov- 
ernors and the princes, the counsellors and the 
captains, have consulted together to establish a 
royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that 
whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or 
man for thirty days save of thee, O king, he 
shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O 
king, establish the decree and sign the writing, 
that it be not changed, according to the law of 
the Medes and Persians, which altereth not." 

The king thought the decree a wise one, and 
signed the writing which made it a law. 

When Daniel heard of this law, he knew 
that now his life was in danger, but he was not 
afraid. It was his habit to enter his chamber 
three times every day, and there kneel in 
prayer. He went directly there after hearing 
that the king had signed the writing, and 
falling upon his knees with his face towards 
Jerusalem, his old home, he prayed and gave 
thanks to God as he always had done before. 

The men who had caused King Darius to 
make the decree were watching to see if 
Daniel obeyed it, and when they found that he 
fearlessly went on praying to his God three 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FKIENDS 237 

times a day, they went directly and informed 
the king. They said to him, "Hast thou not 
signed a decree that every man that shall ask 
a petition of any God or man within thirty 
days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into 
the den of lions ? " 

The king replied, " The thing is true, accord- 
ing to the law of the Medes and Persians, 
which altereth not." 

Then they answered, " That Daniel, which is 
of the children of th^ captivity of Judah, re- 
gardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree which 
thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three 
times a day." 

The king was sorry then that he had been 
persuaded to make this law. The Bible says, 
''he was sore displeased with himself, and his 
heart was set on Daniel to deliver him," and he 
tried all the rest of the day to think of some 
way in which it could be done. But Daniel's 
enemies were impatient to have the law carried 
out, and they all came again to the king to 
remind him that he could not change a law 
that he had once made. 

With a heavy heart King Darius gave the 
order for Daniel to be thrust into the den of 
lions, and he went with him there himself and 
tried to comfort him. He said, '^Thy God, 



238 BIBLE STORIES 

whom thou servest continually, will deliver 
thee." 

They brought a stone and sealed up the 
mouth of the den, and put the king's seal upon 
it, so that all might know that the law which 
Daniel had disobeyed had been carried out. 

The king went sadly back to his palace, but 
he could not sleep from thinking of the poor 
man among the fierce lions. He rose very 
early in the morning and went as quickly as 
possible to the den of lions. He cried out in a 
sorrowful voice, " O Daniel, servant of the 
living God, is thy God whom thou servest 
continually able to deliver thee from the 
lions?" 

How his heart must have leaped with joy 
when Daniel's well-known voice answered : '' O 
king, live forever. My God hath sent his 
angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that 
they have not hurt me ; forasmuch as before 
him innocency was found in me; and also before 
thee, O king, have I done no hurt." 

The king was indeed exceeding glad, and 
gave orders that Daniel should be taken out 
of the den of lions ; " and no manner of hurt 
was found upon him, because he believed in his 
God." 

A swift punishment came upon the enemies of 




Daniel in the Lions' Den. 
From a painting by Vernet. 



DANIEL AND HIS THREE FKIENDS 239 

Daniel, for the king commanded that not they 
only, but their wives and children also, should be 
cast into the den of lions. The mouths of the 
fierce beasts had been opened, and these people 
were torn in pieces before they had reached the 
bottom of the den. 

King Darius believed in God so firmly him- 
self, that he made a decree, and had it written 
in all the languages of his kingdom, " That in 
every dominion of my kingdom men tremble 
and fear before the God of Daniel : for he is the 
living God, and steadfast forever, and his king- 
dom that which shall not be destroyed, and his 
dominion shall be even unto the end." 

Daniel saw no more trouble during the reign 
of his kind friend King Darius, and when Cyrus 
the Persian came upon the throne he still kept 
his place as an honored man in the kingdom. 



THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF 
JESUS 

At one time in its history the Roman Empire 
was so large that it had provinces in almost 
every part of the world. In the reign of Caesar 
Augustus, a decree was made that all persons in 
these provinces should go to the city where 
each was born, to be taxed. 

Judea, the land of the children of Israel, over 
whom David and Solomon once reigned as 
kings, had now become a Roman province ; and 
this law of the emperor required all the dwellers 
there to go to the city or village of their birth, 
and have their names enrolled. 

Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth, with his wife 
Mary, belonged to Bethlehem, for their family 
was descended from King David. It was a long 
distance from Nazareth, and when they arrived 
tired and weary from their journey, they found 
that all the inns were full. A great many 
people had probably come on the same errand 
as themselves, and so every inn was crowded 
with guests. The only place they could find 

240 



THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS 241 

to shelter them was a stable or stall, where 
cattle were shut in for the night. But this 
humble place has become more noted than any 
palace hall, for Jesus, the Saviour of the world, 
was born there. 

On the plains of Bethlehem that night, some 
shepherds were watching over their flocks. 
There were still many wild beasts in the land, 
and often robbers were prowling about, and the 
shepherds had to watch the sheep carefully, 
especially at night. 

Suddenly a brilliant light burst upon them, 
and an angel appeared, and the glory of the 
Lord shone round about them, and, we are told, 
" they were sore afraid." 

The angel hastened to comfort them, and said, 
" Fear not : for, behold, I bring you good tidings 
of great joy, which shall be to all people. For 
unto you is born this day in the city of David 
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Ye shall 
find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 
lying in a manger." 

The angel had scarcely done speaking these 
wonderful words when suddenly there was a 
burst of heavenly music, and a great multitude 
of angels joined in a beautiful anthem of praise. 
.They sang, " Glory to God in the highest, and 
on earth peace, good will toward men." 



242 BIBLE STORJES 

This has become the Christmas anthem the 
world over, and is sung by the people of all 
lands who have heard the good tidings which 
the angels brought. 

When the music had ceased, and the angels 
had winged their flight to heaven, the shepherds 
looked into each other's faces with joy and 
wonder. A Saviour born, which is Christ the 
Lord ! " Let us go," they said, " even unto Beth- 
lehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, 
which the Lord hath made known unto us." 

So they left their sheep and hastened over 
the fields to the stable, where they found 
the beautiful babe and his mother, with Joseph 
watching near them. It was just as the angel 
had said, — the babe was wrapped in swad- 
dling clothes and lying in a manger. These 
humble shepherds had been honored more than 
all the dwellers in Judea, for God had sent an 
angel directly to them to tell the wonderful 
news of a Saviour's birth. They spread the 
glad tidings everywhere, " and the people won- 
dered at these things that were told them by 
the shepherds." 

As Mary held the babe in her arms, and lis- 
tened to the story of these men, she too won- 
dered, but she kept her thoughts hidden in her 
heart. 



THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS 243 

As the shepherds returned to their flocks, all 
the world seemed changed to them, and they went 
on their way " glorifying and praising God." 

Afar off in some Eastern land there were 
three wise men who believed that a great deliv- 
erer would one day come, who would not only 
teach and reform the world, but would bring a 
time of peace among all the nations. In some 
way they gained the idea that this deliverer 
would be a king of the Jews. They were 
always watching for signs in the heavens, and 
one night such a brilliant new star appeared in 
the east that they at once thought it was a 
divine guide to lead them where this king 
might be found. 

They hastily made themselves ready and 
started upon their journey. They followed the 
star, which moved steadily before them to the 
land of Judea and to the city of Jerusalem. As 
soon as they arrived they astonished the people 
there by asking, " Where is he that is born king 
of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the 
east and have come to worship him." 

Herod, who reigned over Judea at this time 
subject to the Roman emperor, was greatly 
troubled and all Jerusalem with him. What 
did it mean that a child should be spoken of as 
born king of the Jews ? This people, as Herod 



244 BIBLE STORIES 

well knew, were expecting a Messiah or de- 
liverer, and could it be that he had really 
come ? 

He called together the Jewish Sanhedrim, 
a council of seventy men, who knew all about 
the traditions and laws of their people, and he 
anxiously asked them where their records said 
this Messiah should be born. And they an- 
swered him, " In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus 
it is written by the prophet : ' And thou Beth- 
lehem, in the land of Juda, art not least among 
the princes of Juda ; for out of thee shall come 
a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.' " 

This alarmed Herod still more, and so he 
called the wise men and asked them privately 
about this star and what time it appeared. 
Then he sent them to Bethlehem to find the 
new king. He said to them, " Go search dili- 
gently for the young child, and when ye have 
found him bring me word again, that I may 
come and worship him also." 

The wise men went gladly on their way, and 
the beautiful star in the east again went on 
before them, until it stopped directly over the 
house where the young child was. When they 
saw that the star had ceased moving they re- 
joiced with " exceeding great joy," for now their 
long journey was happily ended. 



THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS 245 

As soon as they saw the babe lying there 
in his mother's arms, they fell down and wor- 
shipped him. They expected to find an infant 
king, and so they had brought rich presents 
from their far-off homes, such as were given 
only to those of royal blood. With hearts full 
of reverence they laid at the child's feet their 
costly gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 
They were warned by God in a dream not to 
seek Herod again, and so they returned to their 
own country another way. 

The child was named Jesus, and when a few 
weeks old was taken to the Temple at Jerusalem, 
where a sacrifice of two turtle-doves was offered 
for him, according to the Jewish law. 

There was an aged man in Jerusalem named 
Simeon, who had been long expecting that a 
deliverer would come to his people. He was a 
just and good man, and often went to the Temple 
to worship. God's Spirit had made known to 
him that before his death he should see this 
deliverer, who should be known to the world as 
the ''Lord's Christ." 

He was there in the Temple when the infant 
Jesus was brought in ; and as he looked upon 
the babe he knew that the wish of his heart was 
realized. He took the child in his arms and 
blessed him, and with a glad voice he said : — 



246 BIBLE STORIES 

" Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in 
peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have 
seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared 
before the face of all the people; a light to 
lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people 
Israel." 

We cannot wonder that Joseph and Mary 
marvelled at these things which were said of 
the child. 

Soon Anna, an aged and saintly woman, came 
into that part of the Temple, and she too gave 
thanks that she had lived to see the child which 
should grow up to be the Redeemer of his people. 

When King Herod found that the wise men 
had given no heed to his command, but had re- 
turned to their own land without coming to tell 
him of the infant king, he was very angry. He 
wished to know where the babe was to be found, 
not that he wanted to worship him, as he pre- 
tended, but that he might put him to death. 
In order to carry out this wicked design, he 
made a cruel law that all the babies in Beth- 
lehem, and in the country near the village, 
should be killed. We can imagine what a wail 
of sorrow must have been heard all over that 
region when these little ones were snatched from 
their mothers' arms and cruelly murdered. 

But Herod's evil plan was not carried out in 



THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS 247 

regard to the infant Jesus, for an angel appeared 
to Joseph in a dream, and said to him, " Arise, 
and take the young child and his mother and 
flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring 
thee word : for Herod will seek the young child 
to destroy him." 

Joseph arose in the night, and with Mary and 
the babe started upon their long and weary 
journey. They must travel a part of the way 
over the sandy desert, and perhaps a soft-footed 
camel may have taken them gently across it. We 
may be sure that the little party lacked no com- 
forts by the way, for the gifts of the wise men, 
if they had no other means, were amply sufficient 
for their needs. 

After the death of Herod, the angel again ap- 
peared to Joseph, saying, " Arise, and take the 
young child and his mother, and go into the land 
of Israel : for they are dead which sought the 
young child's life." 

How gladly they must have obeyed this mes- 
sage, assuring them that the danger from Herod 
was past, and they might seek their old home in 
peace. 

It was not quite safe, however, to live in 
Bethlehem or its vicinity, for Archelaus, the 
son of Herod, now reigned as king, and he 
might seek to carry out the evil plans of his 



248 BIBLE STORIES 

father. So Joseph and his family went back to 
Nazareth, where they had lived before the birth 
of Jesus. In making this place their home, the 
words of the prophet came true, which said, 
"He shall be called a Nazarene." 

The Bible doesn't speak at all of the early 
years of Jesus, when he was a little toddling 
child. It tells us only that " he grew and waxed 
strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace 
of God was upon him." 

We can think of him only as a sweet-tempered, 
obedient child, playing among the children of 
Nazareth, and roaming with them over the fields 
near by the city, and picking the beautiful flowers 
which he loved. 

Perhaps he used to go with his mother when 
she went to draw water from the well, and we 
can think of him as helping Joseph in whatever 
work his little hands could do for him. 

He probably went every Sabbath day tD the 
synagogue, and heard the rabbi read from the 
prophets and explain their meaning to the people. 
He was so learned in the Scriptures when he be- 
came a man, that as a child his mother must have 
often taught him from the sacred writings. 

Once every year people went from all parts 
of Palestine up to Jerusalem their Holy City 
to keep the Passover. When Jesus was twelve 




« 2 



THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS 249 

years old, Joseph and Mary permitted him to 
take this journey with them for the first time. 
He had read about the glory of Jerusalem in 
the olden days, and had heard it spoken of with 
love and reverence all his life. We cannot 
doubt that his heart was full of joyful anticipa- 
tion as he climbed the steep hills, and that his 
face shone with gladness when the walls of the 
city and the pinnacle of the Temple first met 
his eyes. 

When the Passover feast was ended, the crowds 
of people who had come from a distance to at- 
tend it began to return slowly back to their 
homes. Joseph and Mary, thinking that Jesus 
had started with them and was somewhere in the 
company, went a day's journey without missing 
him. With anxious hearts they then searched 
for him among all their kindred and acquaint- 
ances, but no one had seen him. With weary 
feet they walked hastily back to Jerusalem, 
looking everywhere for the missing boy. At 
length, after three days, they searched all parts 
of the Temple, and found him where the rabbis 
and the learned doctors of the law were wont 
to meet. With shining face and earnest words 
he was talking with these doctors about matters 
of the law, and ''they were astonished at his 
understanding and answers." 



250 BIBLE STORIES 

Joseph and Mary were as much amazed as 
the doctors, and his mother said to him : '' Son, 
why hast thou thus dealt with us ? Behold, thy 
father and I have sought thee sorrowing." 

Strange deep thoughts had come to the boy 
Jesus in those three days, and looking up to his 
mother he said : " How is it that ye sought me ? 
Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's 
business ? " 

What could the child mean by this reference 
to his Father, and the business he must do for 
him ? Like many others of his sayings they 
could not at all understand it. 

But he meant no disrespect to those who had 
so tenderly cared for him, and he went quietly 
back with them to their home in Nazareth, where 
he obeyed all their commands. 

The Bible ends this short story of the child- 
hood of Jesus wdth telling us that from this time 
"' Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in 
favor with God and man." 



THE STORY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 

Among the priests who served in the Tem- 
ple at Jerusalem was Zacharias, whose wife was 
named Elisabeth; and they are both spoken of 
in the Bible as '' righteous before God, walking 
in all the commandments and ordinances of the 
Lord blameless." 

There were many priests set apart for the 
Temple service at Jerusalem and they took turns 
in performing their work, which was of different 
kinds. It was the turn of Zacharias to serve, 
and it fell to him by lot to burn incense upon 
the altar when he entered the Temple. At the 
same time that this incense was burning, the 
people were praying without in the courts. 

One morning while this worship was going 
on, an angel suddenly appeared standing at one 
side of the altar of incense. When Zacharias 
saw him, it is said, "he was troubled, and fear 
fell upon him." 

It had always been a great sorrow to Zacha- 
rias and Elisabeth that no children had been 
given them : and the angel said that one day a 

251 



252 BIBLE STORIES 

son should come to their home, and he added : 
"Thou shalt call his name John. And thou 
shalt rejoice at his birth. And many of the 
children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord 
their God.'' 

This news seemed to Zacharias too good to 
be true. He wanted to be assured in some way 
that this thing would really happen, so he said 
to the angel, " Whereby shall I know this? " 

We can almost see the reproving look of the 
angel as he answered, " I am Gabriel, that stand 
in the presence of God, and am sent to speak 
unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings." 
And then he told Zacharias that on account of 
his unbelief he should become dumb, and not 
able to speak, until what had been told him 
should come to pass. 

This interview with the angel had kept Zach- 
arias in the Temple much longer than usual. 
The people, who had been praying in the court, 
wondered what had become of him, and when 
he came out and was unable to speak to them, 
they were much astonished. By signs which 
he made to them, they knew that he had seen a 
vision in the Temple, and for some reason had 
become dumb. 

It was a day of rejoicing in the home of 
Zacharias and Elisabeth when they received the 



THE STORY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 253 

little son that had been promised by the angel. 
All the neighbors and the friends of the mother 
came to rejoice with her, and wished her to 
name the child Zacharias, for his father. 

But she said to them, "Not so, but he shall 
be called John." They wondered at her choos- 
ing this name, for they said, " There is none of 
thy kindred that is called by this name." Then 
they asked the father by signs what he would 
like to name his child, and, calling for writing 
materials, he wrote, saying, '' His name is John." 
The people were surprised that both his parents 
should have chosen a name for their child which 
none of their kindred bore. Their wonder was 
increased when Zacharias, whose tongue had 
suddenly become loosed, " spake and praised 
God." It is said that fear came upon all that 
dwelt about them, and these sayings were noised 
abroad through all the hill country of Judea. 
"All that heard them laid them up in their 
hearts, saying. What manner of child shall this 
be?" 

Zacharias, it is said, was filled with the Holy 
Spirit and prophesied. He seemed to possess 
the gift of seeing into the future, and of knowing 
what this child would be able to do. " Blessed 
be the Lord God of Israel," he cried, " for he 
hath visited and redeemed his people." And of 



254 BIBLE STORIES 

John he said, " And thou, child, shalt be called 
the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go 
before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, 
to give light to them that sit in darkness and in 
the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the 
way of peace." 

It was said of this wonderful child that the 
hand of the Lord was with him. "He grew 
and waxed strong in spirit," and when he was 
old enough to leave his home, he went away 
from all his kindred and lived in the desert. 
There he could roam about without any one to 
trouble him, and get ready for the work which 
he knew he would have to perform when he 
became a man. 

He dressed in the same way as Elijah and the 
prophets, of whom we read in the Scriptures. 
He wore a robe of coarse camel's hair, and this 
was fastened with a leathern girdle, and his 
hair was long and fell loosely over his shoulders. 
His food was of the plainest kind, for he lived 
mainly on the locusts and wild honey which he 
found in the desert. 

The people were, many of them, looking for 
some great prophet or great man to appear. 
There had been no prophets in Israel for several 
hundred years, and they thought it was now time 
for some messenger from God to be sent them. 



THE STORY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 255 

John lived there in the desert until he was 
grown up and of the proper age to teach the 
people. While leading this wild life apart from 
others, he was seen occasionally by the people 
who happened to pass through the desert places 
where he lived. Those who did catch a glimpse 
of him, and noted how plainly he lived and how 
much he fasted and prayed, believed that he 
was indeed a prophet and a holy man of God. 

When at last he came forth to begin his work 
and proclaim his message, the people went in 
crowds to hear him. His first words must have 
startled them all, as he cried out, " Repent, for 
the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 

As John went about preaching from day to 
day, the news of his strange appearance, so like 
the description of the old prophets, and his 
earnest call for them to repent, went all over 
the country. The Bible says, " Then went out 
to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the 
region round about Jordan." 

They had heeded his faithful warnings, and 
now all these people had come for John to bap- 
tize them in the river Jordan. 

There were many thousands of people living 
in Judea at that time, and as John's preaching 
caused so many of them to repent of their sins 
and lead a better life, the saying of the angel 



256 BIBLE STORIES 

became true, that "many of the children of 
Israel should he turn to the Lord their God." 

John Avas not afraid to speak the truth at all 
times. When he saw that some were only pre- 
tending to repent and lead better lives, he re- 
proved them severely. There were two classes 
or sects among the Jews, who were known as 
Pharisees and -Sadducees. They could never 
agree with each other and were very proud and 
boastful. They made long prayers in the streets, 
so men could see how good they were, and then 
perhaps would go away and cruelly treat some 
poor and needy person who might owe them a 
few pennies. 

When John saw these people coming to his 
baptism, he cried out fiercely, "- O generation of 
vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the 
wrath to come ? " He assured them, if they 
really wished to become better they must change 
their lives, and bring forth good instead of evil 
fruit. If they refused to do this it would be of 
no use for them to boast, as they were always 
doing, that they were children of Abraham and 
must be accepted of God. These people were 
not pleased to hear such words of reproof from 
John, but they dared not speak against him, for 
they feared the anger of the common people, 
who loved and believed in this bold prophet. 



THE STORY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 257 

The chief object of John's mission was to pre- 
pare the way for another and a greater one who 
was to follow him. He often spoke of this in 
his preaching, but no one then understood what 
he meant. 

One day he was baptizing a number of his 
disciples in the river Jordan, near the town of 
Bethabara. As he looked across the fields he 
saw Jesus coming towards him, and he cried 
out : " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh 
away the sin of the world ! This is he of whom 
I said, ' After me cometh a man who is preferred 
before me ; for he was before me.' " 

John wanted the people to know him as the 
one of whom he had so often spoken. But when 
Jesus came to him and wished to be baptized 
like the others, John refused him, for he felt that 
he was not worthy to do this. But Jesus gently 
urged him, and said, " Suffer it to be so now ; for 
thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." 

John could not refuse then, and when Jesus 
was baptized and was coming forth from the 
water a wonderful thing happened. From an 
opening in the heavens he saw the Spirit of 
God descending in the form of a beautiful dove 
and resting upon him, and there came a voice 
which said, "' This is my beloved Son, in whom 
I am well pleased." 



258 BIBLE STORIES 

John had been assured that some sign would 
be given him, by which he might know the one 
for whom he had been preparing the way. It 
was said to him, '^ Upon whom thou shalt see 
the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the 
same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit." 

This sign had now been given him, and so 
John was able to say to the people, " This is 
the Son of God." 

Jesus himself very soon began to teach, but 
John kept on preaching and baptizing those who 
came to him. He was always ready to answer 
their questions. When he had been telling the 
people once to bring forth fruits worthy of re- 
pentance, they asked him, " What shall we do 
then?" 

He said to them, " He that hath two coats let 
him impart to him that hath none : and he that 
hath meat let him do likewise." 

Among others who came to be baptized were 
the publicans who were employed by the Roman 
government to collect taxes from the people. 
They asked of John, " Master, what shall we 
do ? " and he answered, " Exact no more than is 
appointed you." Then the soldiers came and 
said to him, ''And what shall we do?" and he 
replied, " Do violence to no man, neither accuse 
any falsely: and be content with your wages." 



THE STORY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 259 

John thus taught his disciples to live good and 
true lives, and the duty of fasting and prayer. 
When he saw the people disobeying God and 
doing things which they knew to be wrong, he 
would reprove them, no matter how high they 
were in station. 

He once gave a sharp rebuke to King Herod 
for his many sins, and among other things he 
reproved him for marrying his brother's wife, 
which was against the law. Herod was so angry 
with John for daring to accuse him in this way, 
that he put him in prison. 

The place where he was confined was the 
castle Machaerus. This was a fortress built on 
the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, and here he 
was kept for a long time. It was a lonely and 
dreary place, and John, who had always lived so 
much out of doors, must have suffered greatly 
there. Sometimes he would hear tidings of 
how Jesus, whom he had baptized, was preaching 
all over the land and doing the most wonderful 
miracles. 

A court festival was kept one day, at the 
castle where John was a prisoner, in honor of 
the king's birthday. After supper had been 
served, Salome, the young daughter of Herodias 
the king's wife, came in and danced before them. 
The king was so pleased with her beauty and 



260 BIBLE STORIES 

grace that he promised her with a solemn 
oath, he would give her whatsoever she would 
ask. Herodias had disliked John the Baptist 
ever since he had rebuked the king and herself 
for their wrong-doing, and now she thought of 
a cruel revenge. The chance had come by 
which she might cause his death, and thus get 
rid of her accuser forever. So this wicked 
mother commanded Salome to say, in reply to 
the king's offer, " Give me here John Baptist's 
head in a charger." 

The king was sorry now that he had made 
such a rash promise, but he had taken an oath 
to perform it, and was not brave enough to 
break it when he saw it would lead to a great 
crime. So a man was sent to the prison of the 
castle to do this dreadful work, and soon the 
ghastly present which she had asked for was 
brought to the girl and she gave it to her 
mother. 

There was great mourning among his disciples 
when the news of John's death reached them. 

It is said that when Jesus heard of it he went 
away by himself apart from all others, which 
shows how much he felt the loss of the good 
man who had been sent to prepare the way 
before him. 



HOW JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES 

Soon after his baptism, and when he was 
thirty years old, Jesus began to be a public 
teacher. The Jewish law would not allow a 
man to teach until he had reached this age, and 
as Jesus was careful in all his acta to fulfil the 
law, he waited until the proper time before he 
began to teach in public. 

He had a great work to do in the world, and 
he needed helpers to whom he could teach the 
truths which the people so much needed to 
hear. 

As Jesus was walking one day by the Sea of 
Galilee, he saw two brothers Peter and An- 
drew, " casting their nets into the sea, for they 
were fishers." He called to them, saying, " Fol- 
low me, and I will make you fishers of men." 

They might not have known just what Jesus 
meant by making them " fishers of men," but 
they cheerfully obeyed the call, and " left their 
nets and followed him." 

He went a little farther on and came to 
where two other brothers, James and John, were 

261 



262 BIBLE STORIES 

in a boat with Zebedee, their father, mending 
their nets. He called these brothers also to follow 
him, and " they straightway left their father in 
the boat and followed him." Jesus afterward 
called other disciples until there were twelve of 
them, and they used to go about with him from 
place to place as he taught the people. 

Soon crowds gathered around wherever he 
went. One day seeing a great multitude who 
were eager to hear him, he sat down upon the 
mountain side, and began the most wonderful 
sermon that was ever preached, by saying, 
" Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the 
kingdom of heaven." 

There were many others whom he pronounced 
"blessed," and foreseeing that those who be- 
lieved on him would suffer for doing so, he said : 
"• Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and 
persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil 
against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be 
exceeding glad: for great is your reward in 
heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets 
which were before you." 

These words of blessing, which have com- 
forted so many hearts, are called the Beatitudes 
of the Bible. 

Many of the truths which Jesus taught 
seemed strange to the people ; they had never 



HOW JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES 263 

heard such vvords before. They had always 
been taught to return evil for evil, but Jesus 
told them they must do just the opposite of 
this, and return good for evil. He said to 
them: ''Love your enemies, bless them that 
curse you, do good to them that hate you, and 
pray for them that despitefully use you and 
persecute you. Therefore all things whatso- 
ever ye would that men should do to vou, do 
ye even so to them : for this is the law and 
the prophets." 

This verse from Christ's sermon is known 
everywhere as the " Golden Rule," and if kept 
by all, we cannot imagine what a changed world 
this would become. 

People in those days, especially the Pharisees, 
thought they must make long prayers, and 
repeat some of their words over and over, in order 
to please God. They often prayed in the public 
streets, as if to make a show of their goodness. 

Jesus taught them to enter into their closets, 
and when they had shut the door, to pray to 
their Father in secret, and he assured them that 
he would hear them and reward them openly. 

The people had always thought of God as a 
being too holy for them to approach, but one 
whom they must fear and obey, lest he punish 
them in his anger. But Jesus told his disciples 



264 BIBLE STORIES 

to call God their Father, and taught them this 
beautiful prayer, which people both young and 
old are daily offering in all the languages of the 
world : — 

'' Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed 
be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be 
done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this 
day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, 
as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into 
temptation, but deliver us from evil : For thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen." 

When Jesus had ended his sermon, so full 
of new thoughts, and spoken in such beautiful 
words, we cannot wonder that the people " were 
astonished at his doctrine." 

Often when Jesus wished to impress some 
particular truth upon the minds of his hearers 
he would give it in the form of a parable or 
story. At one time Peter came to Jesus and 
asked, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin 
against me, and I forgive him? till seven 
times ? " Jesus said to him, " I say not unto 
thee. Until seven times : but, Until seventy times 
seven ; " and he told the disciples this story : — 

There was once a king who wanted to settle 
accounts with his servants. One of them was 
brought to him who owed two thousand talents. 



HOW JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES 265 

When the king found that the man had nothing 
with which to pay this debt, he gave an order 
that he should be sold, and his wife and children 
and all that he had, and with the money thus 
obtained payment should be made. The poor 
man in his distress fell down at his master's 
feet and cried out, " Have patience with me, 
and I will pay thee all." The king's heart was 
so touched with pity, that he set the man free, 
and forgave him the debt. But the same ser- 
vant, as he went out from his master's presence, 
found one of his fellow-servants that owed him 
an hundred pence only, and he took him roughly 
by the throat and said, "Pay me that thou 
owest." The fellow-servant fell down at his 
feet and begged his mercy, and he too said, 
"Have patience with me, and I will pay thee 
all." 

But he would not: but went and put him 
into the prison, till he should pay the debt. So 
when his fellow-servants saw what was done, 
they went and told their lord. 

Then his lord, after he had called him, said 
unto him : " O thou wicked servant, I forgave 
thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me. 
Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on 
thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee ? " 
And his lord was wroth and delivered him to 



266 BIBLE STORIES 

the tormentors, till he should pay all that was 
due unto him. 

''So likewise," said Jesus, " shall my heavenly- 
Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts 
forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." 

Jesus tried to assure his disciples of the jus- 
tice of their heavenly Father in his dealings with 
them ; and that whether their service was long 
or short, they would each receive the reward 
promised them. 

He said that a certain nobleman went out early 
one morning to hire laborers to work in his vine- 
yard. And when he had agreed with them for a 
penny a day, he sent them into the vineyard. A 
few hours after he went out and found others 
who were standing idle in the market-place, and 
to them he said, " Go ye also into the vineyard, 
and whatever is right I will give you." Still 
later on he found others who wanted work, 
and he hired them. He went out again at the 
eleventh hour when the day's work was almost 
done, and found that even then there were la- 
borers standing idle. He said to them, " Why 
stand ye here all the day idle ? " They answered, 
" Because no one hath hired us." To them he 
kindly said, " Go ye also into the vineyard, and 
whatever is right ye shall receive." 

When evening came, which was the time for 



HOW JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES 267 

payment, the householder said to his steward, 
" Call the laborers and give them their hire, 
beginning from the last unto the first." 

Those who came at the eleventh hour received 
every man his penny. Those who came first 
thought they should receive more, and when 
they were paid a penny only, they found fault 
with their master, and said, " These last have 
wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them 
equal unto us, who have borne the burden and 
heat of the day." 

But the master replied: "Friend, I do thee 
no wrong; didst not thou agree with me for 
a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy 
way. I will give unto this last even as unto 
thee." 

At another time Jesus wished to impress upon 
his disciples the value of time and of the vari- 
ous gifts which God bestows upon his children. 
They should make the most of these gifts, and 
so become rich in right living, and always ready 
to give a good account whenever the Lord should 
call for it. Then Jesus told them this story: — 

The kingdom of heaven is as a man travel- 
ling into a far country, who called his own ser- 
vants and delivered unto them his goods. And 
unto one he gave five talents, to another two, 
and to another one ; to every man according to 



268 BIBLE STORIES 

his several ability; and straightway took his 
journey. Then he that had received the five 
talents went and traded with the same, and 
made them other five talents. And likewise 
he that had received two, he also gained other 
two. But he that had received one went and 
digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 

After a long time the lord of these servants 
came, and reckoned with them. And so he that 
had received five talents came and brought other 
five talents, saying, " Lord, thou deliveredst unto 
me five talents: behold, I have gained beside 
them, five talents more." His lord said unto him, 
" Well done, thou good and faithful servant : 
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will 
make thee ruler over many things: enter thou 
into the joy of thy lord." He also that had 
received two talents came and said, " Lord, thou 
deliveredst unto me two talents : behold, I have 
gained two other talents beside them." His lord 
said unto him, " Well done, good and faithful 
servant: thou hast been faithful over a few 
things, I will make thee ruler over many things : 
enter thou into the joy of thy lord." 

Then he that had received the one talent 
came and said, " Lord, I knew that thou art a 
hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, 
and gathering where thou hast not strewed: 



HOW JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES 269 

and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in 
the earth : lo, there thou hast what is thine." 
His lord answered and said unto him : " Thou 
wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that 
I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I 
have not strewed: thou oughtest therefore to 
have put my money to the exchangers, and then 
at my coming I should have received mine own 
with usury. Take therefore the talent from 
him and give to him that hath ten talents. For 
unto every one that hath shall be given, and he 
shall have abundance : but from him that hath 
not shall be taken away even that which he 
hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant 
into outer darkness ; there shall be weeping and 
gnashing of teeth." 

Sometimes the lawyers, who were the learned 
men among the Jews, came to tempt Jesus by 
asking him what they thought were puzzling 
questions. One of these lawyers came to him 
one day, and said, " Master, what shall I do to 
inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered by ask- 
ing him the question, "What is written in the 
law ? how readest thou ? " The lawyer replied 
by repeating the commandment, " Thou shalt 
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and. 



270 BIBLE STOKIES 

with all thy mind ; and thy neighbor as thyself." 
Jesus said to him, " Thou hast answered right : 
this do, and thou shalt live." The lawyer cared 
not to obey this command, so to justify himself 
he asked, " And who is my neighbor ? " Jesus 
answered him by telling him this story : — 

A certain man went down from Jerusalem to 
Jericho and fell among thieves, who stripped 
him of his raiment and wounded him and de- 
parted, leaving him half dead. And by chance 
there came down a certain priest that way : and 
when he saw him he passed by on the other 
side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at 
the place, came and looked on him, and passed 
by on the other side. But a certain Samari- 
tan, as he journeyed, came where he was : and 
when he saw him he had compassion on him, 
and went to him, and bound up his w^ounds, 
pouring in oil and wine, and he set him on his 
own beast and brought him to an inn, and took 
care of him. And on the morrow when he de- 
parted, he took out two pence and gave them to 
the host, and said unto him, " Take care of him, 
and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I 
come again I will repay thee." 

"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, 
was neighbor unto him that fell among the 
thieves ? " asked Jesus. 



HOW JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES 271 

And the lawyer answered, "He that showed 
mercy on him." 

Then said Jesus, "Go, and do thou likewise." 

Jesus had a tender heart for the little chil- 
dren, and at one time, when his disciples were 
disputing as to which should be greatest in his 
kingdom, he called a little child to him, and 
set him in the midst of them, and said that 
unless they changed their lives, and became as 
obedient and truthful as little children were, 
they could not enter the kingdom of heaven. 
And turning toward the child, he said to his 
disciples, " Whosoever therefore shall humble 
himself as this little child, the same is greatest 
in the kingdom of heaven." 

Jesus loved and appreciated the little ones 
himself, and he wanted his disciples always to 
treat them tenderly, and so he said : " And 
whoso shall receive one such little child in my 
name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend 
one of these little ones which believe in me, it 
were better for him that a millstone were 
hanged about his neck and that he were 
drowned in the depth of the sea." 

Sometimes the disciples seemed to forget these 
words of Jesus, for one day when some anxious 
mothers brought their babies to him for a bless- 
ing, these disciples rebuked the mothers. They 



272 BIBLE STORIES 

thought it was an improper thing for them to 
bring such young children there to trouble the 
Master. 

But when Jesus saw it, he was much dis- 
pleased, and said unto them, " Suffer the little 
children to come unto me, and forbid them not : 
for of such is the kingdom of God." 

After he had spoken these gracious words, 
how glad the mothers must have been when he 
took the little ones in his arms, and putting his 
hands upon them, gave them his blessing. 

In teaching his disciples with what joy our 
Heavenly Father receives those who truly re- 
pent of their wrong-doing, and come to him for 
forgiveness, Jesus told this beautiful story of the 
" Prodigal Son " : — 

A certain man had two sons ; and the younger 
of them said to his father, " Give me the portion 
of goods which falleth to me." And he divided 
unto them his living. And not many days after, 
the younger son gathered all together and took 
his journey into a far country, and there wasted 
his substance in riotous living. And when he 
had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in 
that land, and he began to be in want. And he 
went and joined himself to a citizen of that coun- 
try, and he sent him into his field to feed swine. 
And he would fain have filled his belly with the 



HOW JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES 273 

husks that the swine did eat ; and no man gave 
unto him. And when he came to himself he 
said : " How many hired servants of my father's 
have bread enough and to spare, and I perish 
with hunger. I will arise and go to my father, 
and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned 
against heaven and before thee, and am no more 
worthy to be called thy son : make me as one of 
thy hired servants." And he arose and came to 
his father. But when he was a great way off, 
his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran 
and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the 
son said unto him, " Father, I have sinned against 
heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy 
to be called thy son." But the father said to his 
servants : " Bring forth the best robe, and put it 
on him ; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes 
on his feet ; and bring hither the fatted calf and 
kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this 
my son was dead and is alive again ; he was lost, 
and is found." And they began to be merry. 

Now his elder brother was in the field, and as 
he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard 
music and dancing. And he called one of the 
servants, and asked what these things meant. 
And he said unto him, " Thy brother is come, 
and thy father hath killed the fatted calf because 
he hath received him safe and sound." And he 



274 BIBLE STORIES 

was angry and would not go in ; therefore came 
his father out and entreated him. And he 
answering said to his father : " Lo, these many 
years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I 
at any time thy commandment; and yet thou 
never gave me a kid to make merry with my 
friends. But as soon as this thy son was come, 
which hath devoured thy living with harlots, 
thou hast killed for him the fatted calf." 

And he said unto him : " Son, thou art ever 
with me, and all that I have is thine. It was 
meet we should make merry and be glad ; for 
this thy brother was dead, and is alive again ; 
and was lost, and is found." 

These are but a few of the precious truths 
which Jesus spake to his disciples during the 
three years of his teaching on earth. But these 
serve to show why it was that the people " won- 
dered at the gracious words which proceeded out 
of his mouth." 



THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF JESUS 

The coming of Jesus was foretold by the 
prophets many years before he was born, and 
they prophesied that when he came " the eyes of 
the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the 
deaf unstopped. Then the lame man shall leap 
as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." 

John the Baptist, as we know, was once a long 
time in prison, and before he heard of the mira- 
cles that Jesus was performing, or was aware 
that he had any more than twelve disciples, he 
felt discouraged. He almost doubted whether 
Jesus was really the Christ of God. And so he 
sent and asked him, '' Art thou he that should 
come, or do we look for another? " 

Jesus said to those who brought him the mes- 
sage : '^ Go and show John again those things 
which ye do hear and see. The blind receive 
their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are 
cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised 
up, and the poor have the gospel preached to 
them." 

These were the very works that the prophets 
had said that Jesus should perform, and so John 

275 



276 BIBLE STORIES 

was comforted, for now he knew it was really 
he of whom the prophets spoke. 

The first miracle whicli Jesus performed was 
in Cana of Galilee. A wedding feast was being 
held, and the mother of Jesus was there. It 
happened that there was no more wine for the 
guests, and his mother told him of this. Think- 
ing perhaps that Jesus might help them, his 
mother said to the servants, " Whatsoever he 
saith unto you, do it." 

There were sitting there six water-pots of 
stone, and Jesus told the servants to fill them 
with water, and they did fill them to the brim.^ 
Jesus then said to the servants, '' Draw out now, 
and bear unto the ruler of the feast." 

The water had become wine of such a fine 
quality that the ruler sent for the bridegroom, 
and said to him, "Every man setteth on first 
the good wine; and when men have drunk 
freely, then that which is worse : thou hast kept 
the good wine until now." 

The news of this turning of water into wine 
went abroad through all that region. And 
when Jesus came again to. Cana, a nobleman, 
whose son lay at the point of death, came and 
besought him that he would come down and 
heal his son. Jesus replied, " Except ye see 
signs and wonders, ye will not believe." 



THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF JESUS 277 

But the nobleman showed by his eagerness 
that he did believe, for he urged Jesus again, 
saying, " Sir, come down ere my child die/' 

Then Jesus said unto him, " Go thy way ; 
thy son liveth." Before the nobleman reached 
his home his servants met him with the good 
liews, " Thy son liveth." 

He asked of them at what time he began to 
amend, and they replied, ^'Yesterdaj'- at the 
seventh hour the fever left him." So the 
father knew that it was at the same hour in 
which Jesus said unto him, " Thy son liveth," 
and it is said, '' he believed, and his whole 
house." 

One day Jesus took three of his disciples, 
Peter, James, and John, and went up into a 
high mountain away from all the others. As 
these disciples were talking with Jesus, his ap- 
pearance suddenly changed. It is said that his 
face shone as the sun, and his raiment was 
white as the light. And with him appeared 
two others, Moses and Elijah, who seemed to 
be talking with him. Peter cried out, "Lord, 
it is good for us to be here ; " and he wanted to 
make three tabernacles, one for each of these 
shining ones, and stay there for a long time. 
While he was yet speaking, a bright cloud 
overshadowed them, and behold a voice out of 



278 BIBLE STORIES 

the cloud, saying, " This is my beloved Son, 
in whom I am well pleased." 

When his disciples heard this voice from 
heaven, they fell upon their faces and were sore 
afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and 
said to them, "- Arise, and be not afraid." And 
when they lifted up their eyes they saw no man 
save Jesus only. The beautiful vision had van- 
ished, but the wonder and the joy of it they 
would never forget. 

When they had come down from the mount, 
a man came kneeling to Jesus, and said to him, 
" Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is epilep-. 
tic, and suffereth grievously : for oft-times he f all- 
eth into the fire, and oft-times into the water." 
Jesus said, '' Bring him hither to me." And 
Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, and he went out 
from him, and the boy was cured from that hour. 

After this, Jesus and his disciples went to 
Capernaum, and there he entered into the 
synagogue and taught the people. There was 
in the synagogue that day a man who had what 
was called in those days an unclean spirit, and 
this man cried out : "- What have we to do with 
thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come 
to destroy us ? I know thee who thou art, the 
Holy One of God." 

The unclean spirit was speaking thus, and 



i 



THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF JESUS 279 

Jesus rebuked him, saying, " Hold thy peace, 
and come out of him." And we are told that 
the unclean spirit, tearing him and crying with 
a loud voice, came out of him. 

We cannot wonder that the people were all 
amazed, and asked each other, " What is this ? 
a new teaching ? with authority he commandeth 
even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." 

The report of this miracle went everywhere, 
especially into all the region round about 
Galilee. 

Jesus then went with his disciples, James and 
John, to the house of Simon Peter, whose wife's 
mother lay sick of a fever. Jesus went to her 
and tenderly took her by the hand, and the fever 
left her ; and she rose from her bed, and was 
able to minister to all these unexpected guests. 

The fame of these wonderful works spread 
far and near, and when Jesus went again to 
Capernaum it was soon known that he was 
there. Such throngs came to hear him that the 
house where he was speaking was crowded. 

A poor man who was sick of the palsy was 
borne there by his friends, hoping that he might 
see Jesus and be cured. When his friends 
found that there was no chance of reaching him 
because of the crowd, they did what would seem 
to us a very strange thing. They bore him to 



280 BIBLE STORIES 

the top of the house, and, uncovering the roof, 
which they could easily do with roofs made like 
that one, they let the man down upon his bed 
directly before Jesus. 

The Master's heart was touched with pity for 
the man, and seeing their faith, he said to the 
sick man, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." 
Some of the scribes who were sitting there, 
said to themselves, " Why doth this man thus 
speak blasphememies ? who can forgive sins but 
God only?" 

Jesus knew of what they were thinking, and 
asked them if it were not as easy to forgive sins^ 
as to heal the sick. He would prove to them 
that he had power to forgive sins ; so he said 
to the man who had the palsy, "I say unto 
thee. Arise, take up thy bed, and go thy way 
into thine house." And he arose and straight- 
way took up the bed and went forth before 
them all. The people were all amazed and 
glorified God, and cried out, saying, " We never 
saw it on this fashion." 

Jesus often entered into a boat with his 
disciples, and one evening, as they stood upon 
the shore, he said to them, " Let us go over 
unto the other side." He had been preaching all 
day to the crowds of people who had come to 
hear him, and he was weary and needed rest. 



THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF JESUS 281 

Lying down upon the cushion in the stern of the 
boat, he soon fell asleep. Suddenly there came a 
great storm of wind, such as often visited the 
Sea of Galilee. As the wind increased, the 
waves dashed into the boat, and were fast filling 
it with water. In their distress and fear the 
disciples awoke Jesus, crying, ''Master, carest 
thou not that we perish ? " 

He calmly rose from his sleep and said to 
those wild waves, "Peace, be still." And the 
wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 

Turning to the amazed disciples, he said, 
" Why are ye fearful ? have ye not yet faith ? " 
A marvellous thing had happened ; it was not 
strange that the disciples should say to one 
another, '' Who then is this, that even the wind 
and the sea obey him?" 

While Jesus was preaching one day, Jairus, 
a ruler of the synagogue, came to him, and fall- 
ing at his feet, said, " My little daughter is at 
the point of death : I pray thee, that thou come 
and lay thy hands on her, that she may be made 
whole, and live." 

As Jesus went with the anxious father, a great 
crowd followed them. Before they reached the 
house a messenger met them, saying to the 
father, " Thy daughter is dead : why troublest 
thou the Master any further ? " 



282 BIBLE STORIES 

But Jesus, not minding their words, said to 
the ruler, '' Fear not, only believe." Then tak- 
ing Peter, James, and John, he left the crowd 
and went inside the house. It was the cus- 
tom of the people in those days, who had lost a 
friend by death, to hire women to mourn for 
them, crying and making a great noise. These 
women were already there and wailing piteously 
when Jesus entered. When he said to them, 
'' Why make ye a tumult and weep ? the child is 
not dead, but sleepeth," they laughed him to 
scorn. 

But he put them all forth, and with his dis- 
ciples only, and the father and mother, he went 
in where the child was. Taking her by the 
hand, he said to her, " Damsel, I say unto thee, 
Arise." And straightway this little girl of 
twelve years arose from her bed and was joy- 
fully received by her parents, and Jesus com- 
manded them to give her something to eat. 

He was sometimes so utterly weary in preach- 
ing to the people and healing all the sick who 
were brought to him, that he was obliged to go 
away into some quiet place to rest. Once his 
disciples had been on a long preaching tour, and 
they were all so tired that Jesus said to them, 
" Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, 
and rest awhile." There were so many crowd- 



THE WOJSDERFUL WORKS OF JESUS 283 

ing about, that they had no leisure, even so 
much as to eat. 

They all entered the boat with Jesus, and 
sailed away to a desert place across the lake. 
But many of the people who saw them knew 
who they were, and where they were probably 
going, and it is said " they ran together on foot 
from all the cities and outwent them." 

When Jesus went on shore from the boat, a 
great multitude were gathered there to hear 
him. We are told that he had "compassion 
on them, for they were as sheep having no 
shepherd, and he began to teach them many 
things." 

When it was near evening the disciples came 
to Jesus and said to him, " This is a desert 
place, and now the time is far passed: send 
them away, that they may go into the country 
round about, and into the villages, and buy 
themselves bread: for they have nothing to 
eat." 

Jesus replied by bidding the disciples give 
them something themselves. And they say to 
him, " Shall we go and buy two hundred penny- 
worth of bread, and give them to eat? " 

Then Jesus said to them, " How many loaves 
have ye? go and see." They went to find out, 
and returning, said, " Five, and two small fishes." 



284 BIBLE STORIES 

Then Jesus commanded the multitude to sit 
down in companies upon the green grass. And 
they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by 
fifties. And he took the five loaves and the 
two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, 
and brake the loaves ; and he gave to the dis- 
ciples to set before them ; and the two fishes 
divided he among them all. And they did all 
eat, and were filled. And they took up of the 
fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 
And they that had eaten were about five thou- 
sand men, besides women and childreuo 

The disciples then entered their boat and. 
sailed across the sea to Bethsaida, while Jesus 
lingered to send the people away to their 
homes. Then, weary from the day's work, he 
went into the mountain to pray. At evening 
time, as he stood looking out upon the sea, he 
noticed that the disciples were having a hard 
time in rowing their vessel, for the wind w^as 
against them. At about the fourth watch of 
the night he went out to them, walking upon 
the sea. When his disciples saw him, they 
thought it must be a spirit, and they cried out 
with fear. But soon, in the well-known voice 
of Jesus, they heard the comforting words, " Be 
of good cheer: it is I ; be not afraid." With 
great joy they received him into the boat, and 



THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF JESUS 285 

soon found that the wind had ceased. It had 
been a day of wonders, and now they were still 
more amazed, that their Master had come to 
them walking upon the sea. 

Oftentimes, as Jesus was walking by the way, 
some poor distressed person would call out to 
him for help. He was one day passing out of 
Jericho, with his disciples, and as usual a great 
multitude of people followed him. BartimsBUS, 
a blind beggar, chanced to be sitting by the way- 
side, and heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth 
who was passing by. He had heard wonderful 
stories of his healing people of their diseases, 
and he thought that possibly Jesus might cure 
him of his blindness. It was perhaps the only 
chance he would ever have to attract his atten- 
tion, and so he cried out eagerly, " Jesus, thou 
Son of David, have mercj^ on me." Some of 
those in the crowd rebuked him and bade him 
hold his peace ; but he cried out the more a great 
deal, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" 

Jesus, who always heard the cry of distress, 
stood still, and said, "Call ye him." Those 
who pitied the poor man said to him, "Be of 
good cheer : rise, he calleth thee." 

The blind man sprang up, and in his haste to 
get to Jesus, he cast away his garment. As he 
came before him, Jesus asked, " What wilt thou 



286 BIBLE STORIES 

that I shall do unto thee?" The blind man 
said unto him, " Rabboni, that I may receive my 
sight." With joy he heard the answer, "Go 
thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole." 

But the man whose eyes were opened went 
not away, but gladly followed the gracious 
Master who had given him sight. 

Many of the mighty works of Jesus were done 
in Capernaum, and in the region about there. 
One day Jesus went again to the city. As soon 
as his arrival was known, a certain nobleman, 
whose servant was sick, sent some of the Jewish 
elders to Jesus, asking that he would come and 
save this servant, for he was well beloved. These 
elders besought Jesus that he would go, for they 
said, " He is worthy that thou shouldest do this 
for him : for he loveth our nation, and himself 
built us our synagogue." So Jesus went, and as 
he approached the house, the nobleman sent some 
of his friends to him, saying, " Lord, trouble not 
thyself : for I am not worthy that thou shouldest 
come under my roof: wherefore neither thought 
I myself worthy to come unto thee : but say the 
word, and my servant shall be healed." 

When Jesus heard this message of the centu- 
rion, he turned, and said to his followers, " I 
have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." 

This faith was rewarded by Jesus sending his 



THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF JESUS 287 

healing power before him, for when the men re- 
turned to the centurion's house, they found that 
the servant had been cured of his disease. 

Not long afterward Jesus was passing through 
the city of Nain with his disciples, and again a 
great multitude followed him. As they drew 
near the gate of the city, they saw a sad pro- 
cession coming out of it, carrying a young man 
to his burial. He was lying upon a bier, and 
his nearest relatives were bearing it slowly along. 
He was " the only son of his mother, and she was 
a widow." The poor woman was weeping bit- 
terly, and many of the friends in the city were 
showing their sympathy by walking with her. 

And when the Lord saw her, he had compas- 
sion on her, and said unto her, "Weep not." 
As he came near the bier he laid his hand upon 
it, and the bearers stood still. Then in a voice 
of command he said to the dead son, ''Young 
man, I say unto thee, Arise." He was instantly 
obeyed, and as the young man sat up Jesus gave 
him to his mother, once more a living son to 
comfort her heart. 

We are told that fear fell upon them all ; and 
they glorified God, saying, " A great prophet 
is arisen among us, and God hath visited his 
people." The tidings spread rapidly over the 
whole of Judea, and all the region round about. 



288 BIBLE STORIES 

Many in the land where Jesus lived were 
afflicted with a dreadful disease called leprosy, 
and any who were sick with it were required 
to live by themselves. They were not allowed 
to come near other people, and if they chanced 
to see any one coming toward them, even if far 
off, they were required to cry out, "Unclean! 
unclean ! " as a warning for the person not to 
approach any nearer. 

At one time, when Jesus was passing through 
Samaria and Galilee, on his way to Jerusalem, 
he met ten of these lepers. They had heard of 
this great healer, and standing afar off, they cried , 
out to him, " Jesus, Master, have mercy on us ! " 

He heard their cry and healed them, and told 
them to go show themselves to the priest, for 
that was the law if any one was supposed to be 
cured of leprosy. One of these men, who was 
a Samaritan, when he foiind that he was healed, 
and his flesh was clean and pure again, ran back 
and " with a loud voice glorified God," and 
when he came to Jesus he fell at his feet giving 
him thanks. Jesus looked about him and said : 
u W'ere there not ten cleansed ? but where are 
the nine ? Were there none found that returned 
to give glory to God, save this stranger ? " And 
then he graciously said to him, " Arise, go thy 
way : thy faith hath made thee whole." 



THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF JESUS 289 

In a pleasant home in Bethany, a town not 
far from Jerusalem, lived Lazarus with his two 
sisters, Martha and Mary. Jesus was always a 
welcome guest at this home, and he often went 
there for rest and comfort. They all deeply 
loved their Master, and Martha delighted to 
minister to his wants whenever he came to visit 
them. Mary once showed her great love for 
him by anointing his feet with some very pre- 
cious and costly ointment, and then wiping them 
with her hair. 

But Lazarus their brother was one day taken 
very ill, and the sisters sent Jesus this message, 
" Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." 

When he heard of it, Jesus told his disciples 
that the sickness would not be unto death, but 
it was for the glory of God. Although he loved 
Martha and Mary and Lazarus, yet he de- 
layed to go to them for two days. Then he said 
to his disciples, "Let us go into Judea again." 
This plan surprised the disciples, and they said, 
" Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee ; 
and goest thou thither again ? " 

But Jesus gave them as a reason for going, 
" Our friend Lazarus hath fallen asleep ; but I 
go, that I may awake him out of sleep." 

But the disciples replied, "Lord, if he is 
fallen asleep, he will recover." They couldn't 



290 BIBLE STORIES 

understand that Jesus meant that he was dead, 
but they thought that he spoke of taking rest 
in sleep. He then told them plainly, " Lazarus 
is dead," and said, '' And I am glad for your 
sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may 
believe; nevertheless, let us go unto him." 

Thomas, one of the disciples, thought this was 
a dangerous journey for the Master to take, but 
he bravely said to his fellow-disciples, "Let us 
also go, that we may die with him." 

When Jesus reached Bethany, he found that 
Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. 
Jewish friends had come to console Martha and 
Mary concerning their brother. And when 
Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went 
out to meet him, while Mary remained in the 
house with their friends. As soon as Martha 
met Jesus, she said : " Lord if thou hadst been 
here, my brother had not died. And even now 
I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask God, 
God will give thee." 

Jesus said to her, " Thy brother shall rise again." 
Martha replied, " I know that he shall rise 
again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus 
said unto her : " I am the resurrection and the 
life : he that believeth in me, though he were 
dead, yet shall he live : and whosoever liveth 
and believeth in me shall never die. Believest 



THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF JESUS 291 

thou this?" Martha replied, "Yea, Lord: I 
believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, 
which should come into the world." 

She felt comforted somehow from this talk 
with Jesus, and went and called Mary secretly 
from her friends, and said, " The Master is come, 
and calleth for thee." 

When Mary heard this, she rose and went 
hastily out to seek him. The Jews who had 
come to comfort her, when they saw that she 
rose up quickly and went out, followed her, 
"supposing that she was going unto the tomb 
to weep there." 

When Mary came where Jesus was, she fell 
down at his feet, saying unto him, " Lord, if 
thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." 

When Jesus saw her weeping bitterly, and 
the Jews also weeping with her, " he groaned 
in the spirit and was troubled." And he asked, 
"Where have ye laid him?" They replied, 
" Lord, come and see." As he stood there by 
the tomb of his friend, "Jesus wept." 

The Jews who saw his grief said, " Behold 
how he loved him." But some of them, who 
had seen his wonderful works, said, " Could not 
this man, which opened the eyes of him that was 
blind, have caused that this man also should not 
die?" 



292 BIBLE STORIES 

Jesus, full of tender pity, approached the tomb, 
and said to those who stood by, '' Take ye away 
the stone." 

Martha thought, as her brother had been dead 
four days, it would not be well to open the door 
of the tomb. Jesus gave what Martha must 
have thought a strange reply, " Said I not 
unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou 
shouldest see the glory of God ? " 

When the stone was taken away, Jesus 
lifted up his eyes and said: "Father, I thank 
thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew 
that thou hearest me always : but because of 
the people which stand by I said it, that they 
may believe that thou hast sent me." And when 
he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, 
" Lazarus, come forth." He that was dead came 
forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes : 
and his face was bound about with a napkin. 
Jesus saith unto them, ''Loose him, and let 
him go." 

We can imagine the joy of these sisters, 
when their brother stood before them restored 
to life again. How gladly they all went back 
to the house in company with their Master, 
rejoicing that they had indeed " seen the glory 
of God!" 



THE BETRAYAL AND TRIAL OF JESUS 

Many of the Jews, who had seen the raising of 
Lazarus from the dead, believed in Jesus and 
acknowledged his power, while others, who 
denied his claims and thought him an impostor, 
^' went and told the Pharisees the things 
which he had done." They were so troubled at 
this report of a man having been actually raised 
from the dead, that they called a council to see 
what could be done. They said to one another : 
" This man doeth many signs. If we let him 
thus alone, all men will believe in him : and the 
Romans will come and take away both our 
place and our nation." They all agreed that it 
was better that Jesus should die than to have 
this happen. 

He walked no more openly among the people, 
but often went to Bethany and abode with 
Lazarus and his sisters. They made a supper 
there for him. one evening, and it was then that 
Mary took the precious ointment of spikenard, 
and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped them 
with her hair. She thought that nothing was 

293 



294 BIBLE STORIES 

too rare or costly to offer the Master who had 
brought her brother back again from the dead. 

But Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, 
was present at this supper, and thought it was 
wasting the ointment to use it in anointing 
Jesus. He asked, in a fault-finding tone, " Why 
was not this ointment sold for three hundred 
pence and given to the poor?" He said this, 
not because he cared for the poor, but because 
he was a thief, and having the bag took away 
what was put therein. 

Jesus commended Mary for v/hat she had 
done, and said, " The poor ye have always with^ 
you ; but me ye have not always." 

On the morrow Jesus and his disciples left 
Bethany, and went on their way to Jerusalem. 
When they had reached the Mount of Olives, 
Jesus sent two of his disciples before, saying, 
" Go ye into the village over against you : in the 
which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, 
whereon yet never man sat : loose him and bring 
him hither. And if any man ask you. Why do 
ye loose him? thus ye shall say unto him. Be- 
cause the Lord hath need of him." 

They that were sent went away, and found 
even as he had said unto them. And as they 
were loosing the colt, the owners said unto them, 
" Why loose ye the colt? " And they said, " The 













C 



THE BETRAYAL AND TRIAL OF JESUS 295 

Lord hath need of him." And they brought him 
to Jesus, and threw their garments upon the 
colt, and set Jesus thereon. And as he went, 
they spread their garments in the way. And at 
the descent of the Mount of Olives the whole 
multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and 
praise God, with a loud voice, for all the mighty 
works which they had seen; saying, ''Blessed is 
the King that cometh in the name of the Lord ; 
peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." 

In the multitude were some of the Pharisees, 
and they were displeased with this outburst of 
praise, and said unto Jesus, " Master, rebuke thy 
disciples." But he answered and said, "I tell 
you that if these shall hold their peace the 
stones will cry out." 

As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem and thought 
of all the dreadful things that would happen there 
on account of the people's unbelief, he Avept over 
it, and said, "If thou hadst known in this thy day, 
even thou, the things which belong unto thy 
peace ; but now they are hid from thine eyes." 

Soon after Jesus entered the city, he went to 
the Temple, and when he saw that the men who 
were greedy to gain money had made it a place 
in which to buy and sell their wares, he was 
indignant. In a manner which no one dared 
to disobey, he cast out all them that sold and 



296 BIBLE STORIES 

bought in the Temple, and overthrew the tables 
of the money-changers, and the seats of them 
that sold doves, and said to them, '' It is written, 
My house shall be called a house of prayer : but 
ye have made it a den of robbers." 

The blind and the lame soon heard that he 
was in the Temple and they came to him there, 
and he healed them all. The chief priests and 
the scribes were also there, and saw the wonder- 
ful things which he did. And when at length 
the children who sang in the Temple came out 
and cried, " Hosanna to the son of David," 
they were moved with indignation, and said- 
unto him, " Hearest thou what these are say- 
ing ? " And Jesus saith unto them, " Yea : did 
ye never read. Out of the mouth of babes and 
sucklings, thou hast perfected praise ? " 

It had been a wonderful and exciting day, and 
at the evening hour Jesus gladly returned to 
the peaceful home in Bethany to spend the night. 

On the next day he went again to Jerusalem 
in company with his disciples, and on the way he 
taught them many truths. When Jesus entered 
the Temple and began teaching there, the chief 
priests and the Pharisees, who were his most 
bitter enemies, came to him and tried to entrap 
him by asking puzzling questions. One of their 
disciples said to him: ''Master, we know that 



THE BETKAYAL AND TKIAL OF JESUS 297 

thou art true, and teachest the way of God in 
truth, and carest not for any one : for thou re- 
gardest not the person of men. Tell us there- 
fore, What thinkest thou ? Is it lawful to give 
tribute unto Csesar, or not ? " 

But Jesus saw their wickedness, and said to 
them : "Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show 
me the tribute money." And they brought unto 
him a penny. And he said unto them, •' Whose 
is the image and superscription on this ? " They 
say unto him, ''Caesar's." Then he said unto 
them, " Render therefore unto Caesar the things 
that are Caesar's; and unto God the things that 
are God's." And when the people heard how 
wisely Jesus had answered their question, " they 
marvelled and went away." 

Then the Sadducees came and asked him 
some question about the resurrection. These 
people believed that there was no life after 
death and no resurrection of the dead. 

Jesus referred them to their sacred writings, 
where God says to his people, " I am the God 
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God 
of Jacob." This surely proved that their 
fathers were still living, for " God is not the God 
of the dead, but of the living." And when the 
multitude heard it they were astonished at his 
teaching. 



298 BIBLE STOKIES 

When the Pharisees heard that he had put 
the Sadducees to silence, they also came asking 
him questions, which- he answered so wisely that 
they too became silent. And when he in turn 
asked them a question, it was said " no one was 
able to answer him a word, neither durst any man 
from that day forth ask him any more questions." 

After this the chief priests and elders were 
more bitter against Jesus than ever, and since 
he had dared to call the scribes and Pharisees 
hypocrites they began to plot against him. 

Thej^ all met at the house of Caiaphas the high 
priest to take counsel together how they might 
take Jesus and kill him. While they were 
consulting about this, Judas Iscariot came in 
and offered to deliver him up to them. And 
when they heard it, they were glad, and offered 
to give him money. " What are ye willing to 
give me," he said, " and I will deliver him 
unto you ? " And they weighed unto him thirty 
pieces of silver. 

This wicked man, who had been a disciple 
of Jesus, had sold him for the price of a slave, 
and from that time he began to lay plans for be- 
traying his Master. 

The feast of the passover was held once every 
year in Jerusalem, and as the time for this drew 
near, Jesus wished to eat it with his disciples ; 



I 



THE BETRAYAL AND TRIAL OF JESUS 299 

and they asked him where he would like to have 
them prepare it. Jesus said to them, '' Go into 
the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing 
a pitcher of water : follow him ; and wheresoever 
he shall enter in, say to the goodman of the 
house. The Master saith. Where is my guest- 
chamber, where I shall eat the passover with 
my disciples? And he will show you a large 
upper room furnished ; there make ready." 

The disciples went as Jesus directed, and found 
the furnished room, and there they made ready 
the passover. And at the evening hour Jesus 
and his twelve disciples gathered together to eat 
their Last Supper. 

And Jesus took bread, and when he had 
given thanks, he brake it, and gave to them, 
saying, " This is my body which is given for 
you: this do in remembrance of me." And of 
the cup he said, " This cup is the new covenant 
in my blood which is shed for you." 

It is thought that when the disciples took their 
places at the table there was some ill feeling 
among them, and a strife as to which should be 
the greatest and have the best place there. Jesus 
rebuked them, saying," He that is greatest among 
you, let him become as the younger; and he that 
is chief, as he that doth serve." 

Then Jesus, rising from the table, laid aside his 



300 BIBLE STORIES 

garments, and girding himself with a towel he 
poured water into a basin, and began to wash 
the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the 
towel with which he was girded. The Bible 
tells us that when he had washed their feet, and 
taken his garments and sat do>vn again, he said 
unto them : " Know ye what I have done to you ? 
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well ; 
for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, 
have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash 
one another's feet. For I have given you an 
example, that ye also should do as I have done 
to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The_ 
servant is not greater than his lord : neither he 
that is sent greater than he that sent him." 

When Jesus told his disciples that one of 
their number should betray him, they were 
troubled and were in doubt of whom he spoke. 
So Peter made a sign to John, who was leaning 
on Jesus' breast, that he should ask him, " Lord, 
who is it?" Jesus replied, "He it is to whom 
I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it." 
Jesus then gave the sop to Judas, and it is said 
that " Satan entered into him." 

Jesus said to him, " That thou doest, do 
quickly." No one at the table understood 
what he meant by these words, but thought 
that, as Judas had charge of the money, Jesus 



THE BETRAYAL AND TRIAL OF JESUS 301 

had sent him to buy something for the feast, 
or else to give some money to the poor. 

After Judas had gone out, Jesus had a long 
talk with his eleven disciples. As he spoke 
of soon going away from them, Peter asked, 
"Whither goest thou?" Jesus answered, 
''Whither I go thou canst not follow me now, 
but thou shalt follow me afterwards." 

Peter cried out : " Lord, why cannot I follow 
thee even now? I wdll lay down my life for 
thee." Although Peter spoke so boldly, Jesus 
knew how weak he would be when the hour of 
trial came, and so he said to him: "Wilt thou 
lay down thy life for me ? Verily, verily, I say 
unto thee. The cock shall not crow, till thou hast 
denied me thrice." 

As the disciples sat about him, and began to 
realize that in some way, as yet they knew not 
how, their beloved Master was to leave them, 
they were very sorrowful. Jesus then began a 
tender discourse to them with these comforting 
words : " Let not your heart be troubled : ye 
believe in God, believe also in me. In my 
Father's house are many mansions : if it were 
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare 
a place for you. I will come again, and receive 
you unto myself ; that where I am, there ye may 
be also." 



302 BIBLE STORIES 

He tried to cheer them with the thought that 
he would be separated from them for a little 
while only, and even when he was gone, he 
would help and guide them. He said, "If ye 
shall ask anything of the Father, he will give 
it you in my name." 

Jesus also assured them that he would pray 
to the Father for them, and he ended his talk 
by saying, ''These things have I spoken unto 
you, that in me ye may have peace. In the 
world ye have tribulation : but be of good 
cheer; I have overcome the world." 

Jesus then lifted up his eyes to heaven, and 
prayed earnestly that his Father would tenderly 
care for these disciples whom he loved. " I 
pray not," he said, "that thou shouldest take 
them from the world, but that thou shouldest 
keep them from the evil one." And he prayed 
that one day they might go to be with him and 
behold his glory. 

After this Jesus went with his disciples over 
the brook Kidron, to the garden of Gethsemane. 
As he entered there he said to them, "Sit ye 
here, while I go and pray yonder." 

Taking with him three of his eleven disciples, 
Peter, James, and John, he went to a more re- 
tired place in the garden, and said to them, 
"My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto 



THE BETRAYAL AND TRIAL OF JESUS 303 

death : tarry ye here, and watch with me." And 
he went forward a little and fell on his face and 
prayed, saying, '' O my Father, if it be possible, 
let this cup pass from me : nevertheless, not as I 
will, but as thou wilt." 

When Jesus went back to his disciples, he 
found them sleeping, and he said to Peter: 
"What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into tempta- 
tion : the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh 
is weak." 

He went away again the second time, and 
prayed, saying, " O my Father, if this cup may 
not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy 
will be done." 

When he returned he found the disciples 
again sleeping, for "their eyes were heavy." 

When Jesus returned from his place of 
prayer the third time, he found them again 
asleep, and he said, " Sleep on now and take 
your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and 
the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of 
sinners." 

But the disciples could sleep no more, for even 
as Jesus was speaking, they heard the noise of 
a great multitude coming with swords and staves 
from the chief priests ; and Judas, one of their 
own number, was leading them on. He knew 



304 BIBLE STORIES 

the Master's retreat in the garden, for Jesus had 
often gone there with his disciples. As those 
who were sent to arrest him would not recog- 
nize Jesus in the dark, Judas had agreed to 
give them a sign, and walking boldly up to 
him he said, " Hail, Master ! " and kissed him. 

Jesus, knowing what was about to happen, 
went forward and calmly asked them, " Whom 
seek ye ? " They answered him, " Jesus of 
Nazareth." Jesus said, "I am he." 

Something in his face as he said this struck 
terror to their hearts, " and they went backward 
and fell upon the ground." 

Again Jesus asked, " Whom seek ye ? " and 
they replied as before, "Jesus of Nazareth." 
Jesus replied, "I told you I am he." 

In this hour of trial, his disciples, instead of 
bravely standing by their Master, " all forsook 
him and fled." 

Jesus was led by the soldiers to the house of 
Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and 
elders were gathered together. But Peter fol- 
lowed him afar off into the court of the high 
priest, and entered in and sat with the officers 
to see the end. 

The chief priests and the council of the San- 
hedrim, before whom Jesus was brought, sought 
to find some witness against him, so they might 



THE BETRAYAL AND TRIAL OF JESUS 305 

put him to death. Many witnesses came, but 
none who told the truth could say aught against 
him. At last they found two men, who testi- 
fied, ''This man said, I am able to destroy the 
Temple of God, and to build it in three days." 
The high priest said to Jesus, " Answerest thou 
nothing? what is it which these witness against 
thee ? " Jesus gave no answer then, but when 
the high priest said, " I adjure thee by the liv- 
ing God, that thou tell us whether thou be the 
Christ of God," he replied, " Thou hast said : 
nevertheless I say unto you. Hereafter shall 
ye see the Son of man sitting on the right 
hand of power, and coming in the clouds of 
heaven." 

The high priest then, as a sign of horror, rent 
his garments, saying, " He hath spoken blas- 
phemy: what think ye?" They answered, "He 
is worthy of death." 

And then they began to treat him in a shame- 
ful manner, and to spit in his face, and buffet 
him ; some of them struck him with their hands, 
and told him to prophesy who it was that struck 
him. 

While this was going on, Peter was sitting out 
in the court, and one of the maids came to him 
and said, " Thou also wast with Jesus the Gali- 
lean." 



306 BIBLE STORIES 

But he denied before them all, saying, "I 
know not what thou sayest." As Peter went 
out into the porch, another maid saw him, and 
said to those who were thero^ " This man also 
was with Jesus the Nazarene." 

This time Peter denied with an oath, and 
said, '^I know not the man," After a while 
they that stood by came and said to Peter, " Of 
a truth thou art one of them, for thy speech be- 
wrayeth thee." For the third time he began to 
curse and swear, "I know not the man," and 
straightway the cock crew. 

Peter remembered the words which Jesus had^ 
said, " Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me 
thrice," and we cannot wonder that he went out 
and wept bitterly. 

Another council of the chief priests and elders 
was held the next morning, and it was then de- 
cided that Jesus must be put to death. So 
they bound him and sent him away to Pontius 
Pilate, who was the Roman governor of the 
province. 

When Judas learned that the Master w^hom 
he had betrayed was condemned to die, he re- 
pented, and brought back the thirty pieces of 
silver to the chief priests and elders, saying to 
them, " I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent 
blood." 



I 

I 



THE BETRAYAL AND TRIAL OF JESUS 307 

But they said, " What is that to us ? see thou 
to it." 

Judas was so filled with horror at what he 
had done, that he threw down the thirty pieces 
of silver, and went away and hanged himself. 
As this money was the .price of blood, the chief 
priests could not put it back into the treasury, 
and so they bought with it a piece of ground, as 
a bur3dng-place for strangers. 

When Jesus was brought before Pilate, he 
asked him, saying, " Art thou the King of the 
Jews?" And Jesus said unto him, "Thou say- 
est." But when the chief priests and elders 
asked him, he answered nothing. Pilate was 
surprised at his silence; and said to him, "Hear- 
est thou not how many things they witness 
against thee?" But Jesus gave him no answer, 
not even a word, insomuch that the governor 
marvelled greatly. 

Now at their yearly feast Pilate was wont to 
release unto the people one prisoner, whichever 
one they might choose. Barabbas, a noted rob- 
ber, was lying in prison at that time, so Pilate 
asked the Jews, " Whom will ye that I release 
unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called 
Christ?" 

He felt sure that Jesus was innocent, and 
that it was only from envy that the Jews wanted 



308 BIBLE STORIES 

to kill him. Even while Pilate was sitting there 
in the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, say- 
ing, " Have thou nothing to do with that right- 
eous man : for I have suffered many things this 
day in a dream because of him." 

The chief priests and elders were so deter- 
mined that Jesus should die, that they per- 
suaded the multitude, when Pilate asked again, 
" Whether of the twain shall I release unto 
you?" to answer, "Barabbas." 

Pilate then asked, " What then shall I do 
unto Jesus which is called Christ?" They all 
cried out, "Let him be crucified." He said to 
them, " Why, what evil hath he done ? " But 
they cried out more exceedingly, " Let him be 
crucified ! " 

These accusers of Jesus were getting so furi- 
ous that the governor feared a tumult. He felt 
that Jesus was innocent, and yet he wanted to 
pacify and please the people. So he took water 
and washed his hands before the multitude, say- 
ing, " I am innocent of the blood of this right- 
eous man: see ye to it." 

And then all the people answered in these 
fearful words, " His blood be on us, and on our 
children." 

Barabbas was then released, and Jesus was 
ordered to be scourged, and delivered to be 
crucified. 



THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION 
OF JESUS 

When at last Pilate decided to condemn 
Jesus to death, he gave him in charge of the sol- 
diers, and they took him into the palace where 
the rest of their band were gathered. And there 
they stripped him of his garments and put upon 
him a purple robe of the color that kings wore ; 
and they plaited a crown of thorns, and put it 
upon his head ; and kneeling down before him, 
as if paying honor to a monarch, they said, 
"Hail, King of the Jews!" 

And after they had mocked him in this way, 
they took off the purple robe, and putting on 
his own garments, " they led him away to cru- 
cify him." 

Jesus was able at first to carry his cross, but 
he soon became faint and sank under the burden. 
Just then Simon, a man of Gyrene, came that 
way, and they compelled him to take the cross 
and bear it after Jesus. 

The sad procession wended its way outside of 
the city walls to a place called Golgotha, and 

309 



310 BIBLE STORIES 

there Jesus was nailed to the cross between two 
thieves, who were to suffer death at the same 
time. 

Pilate had ordered a title written to be placed 
over the cross, '' Jesus of Nazareth, the King of 
the Jews." As this title was in Hebrew, Greek, 
and Latin, all the people who were gathered 
there could read it. When the Jews saw what 
was written, they, were displeased, and went to 
Pilate and said, '' Write not, ' The King of the 
Jews,' but that he said, ' I am King of the Jews.' " 

But Pilate, who had perhaps become tired of 
these fault-finding people, would not grant their 
request, but said to them, " What I have written, 
I have written," meaning that he would make 
no alteration now. 

The soldiers were entitled to the clothing of 
those who were crucified, and so they took the 
garments of Jesus and made four parts, to every 
soldier a part ; but the coat was without seam, 
woven from the top throughout. They said 
therefore, " Let us not rend it, but cast lots for 
it, whose it shall be." 

By this act the words of the prophet were 
fulfilled, which said of their Messiah, " They 
parted my garments among them, and upon my 
vesture did they cast lots." 

The Jews showed their hatred of Jesus to the 



DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS 311 

last, although, in his first agony upon the cross, 
he prayed for them, saying, " Father, forgive 
them ; for they know not what they do." 

Now as they passed by him, they railed on 
him, wagging their heads, and saying : " Thou 
that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in 
three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of 
God, come down from the cross." 

Likewise also, the chief priests, mocking him, 
with the scribes and elders, said : '' He saved 
others ; himself he cannot save. If he be the 
King of Israel, let him now come down from 
the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted 
in God ; let him deliver him now, if he will 
have him : for he said, I am the Son of God." 

And even one of the thieves who were cruci- 
fied with him railed on him, saying, "If thou 
be Christ, ^ave thyself and us." But the 
other one rebuked him, and said : " Dost not thou 
fear God, seeing thou art in the same condem- 
nation? And we indeed justly, for we receive 
the due reward of our deeds ; but this man hath 
done nothing amiss." And he said to Jesus, 
" Lord, remember me when thou comest into 
thy kingdom." With what joy must this sinner 
have heard Jesus answer, " Verily I say unto 
thee. To-day shalt thou be with me in Para- 
dise." 



312 BIBLE STORIES 

At the sixth hour a strange darkness came 
over the land, which lasted until the ninth hour. 
The earth quaked, as though trembling for the 
dreadful deed that was being done. In the 
Temple at Jerusalem the priests who were there 
saw with horror that the beautiful veil which 
hid the Holy of Holies was torn from the top 
to the bottom. 

But the hour for ending the sufferings of 
Jesus had now come, and crying out with a 
loud voice, " Father, into thy hands I commend 
my spirit," he breathed his last. 

There were no mocking voices about the cross 
now, for the faces of those who stood there 
were pale with fear. When the Roman centu- 
rion saw what was done, he glorified God, and 
said, " Truly this was the Son of God." It is 
said that all the multitudes who were there, 
when they beheld the things that were done, 
"returned smiting their breasts." 

The Jews were in haste to remove the bodies 
from the cross, as their Sabbath was near at 
hand, and none of them were allowed to touch 
a dead body on that day. They cruelly broke 
the legs of the thieves, in order to hasten 
the end; but when they came to Jesus, they 
were surprised to find that he was already dead. 
They wished to be quite sure of this, so one of 



I 




The Descent from the Cross. 
From a painting by Rubens. 



DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS 313 

the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and 
blood and water flowed from the wound. It 
was said of him by the prophets who wrote 
about him so many years before, " A bone of 
him shall not be broken," and, "They shall 
look on him whom they pierced." 

Among the disciples of Jesus was Joseph of 
Arimathea, who was a rich man and a member 
of the Jewish council. He was the owner of a 
new tomb which had been hewn from the rocks, 
and in which no one had ever lain. This tomb 
was in a garden near the place where Jesus was 
crucified, and Joseph wished to lay him there. 
He was fearful that the Jews might prevent 
him from doing so if they knew of it, so he 
went to Pilate secretly, and asked if he might 
"take the body of Jesus away: and he gave 
him leave." 

Besides Mary Magdalene, to whom Jesus 
had forgiven so much, there were many other 
women who believed in him, and who, like 
Martha of Bethany, loved to minister to him. 

They had come from far-away Galilee, and 
were among those who stood beholding Jesus 
on the cross. And now they followed him to 
his burial, for they wished to know just how 
he was laid in the tomb. They wanted to do 
something more for the Master who was gone, 



314 BIBLE STOKIES 

SO they returned to their homes to prepare 
spices for anointing his body when the proper 
time should come. 

The next day the chief priests and rulers 
went to Pilate with another trouble. They 
said to him : " Sir, we remember that that de- 
ceiver said while he was yet alive, After three 
days I rise again. Command therefore that 
th6 sepulchre be made sure until the third 
day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him 
away, and say unto the people, He is risen from 
the dead : and the last error will be worse than 
the first." Pilate said unto them, "Ye have 
a guard : go your way, make it as sure as ye 
can." So they went and made the sepulchre 
sure, sealing the stone, the guard being with 
them. 

There had been no time to anoint the body 
of Jesus as the custom was, and so, as soon as 
the Jewish Sabbath was past, on the first day 
of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other 
women who had prepared spices went very 
early in the morning to the tomb of Jesus to 
anoint him. While on the way there they were 
saying to themselves, '' Who shall roll away the 
stone from the door of the tomb ? " It was 
large, and they would be unable to move it 
without help. But lo ! when they reached the 



DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS 315 

tomb they found the stone rolled away. For 
we are told that an angel had descended from 
heaven and rolled the stone away. "His ap- 
pearance was as lightning, and his raiment as 
white as snow." The angel was still at the 
tomb, and he said unto the women: "Fear not 
ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus which hath 
been crucified. He is not here : for he is risen, 
even as he said. Come, see the place where 
the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his 
disciples, He is risen from the dead; and lo 
he goeth before you into Galilee ; there shall ye 
see him : lo, I have told you." 

While they were hurrying along to tell their 
glad news, Jesus met them, and said, "All 
hail." Their hearts were filled with joy and 
fear when they saw their Master, and "they 
took hold of his feet and worshipped him." He 
said to them, "Fear not: go tell my brethren 
that they depart into Galilee, and there shall 
they see me." 

While they were on their way, some of the 
guard who were so frightened because of the 
earthquake went into the city to tell the chief 
priests what had happened. A council was 
quickly held with the elders, to see what 
should be done. It would never do for the 
true story to be told abroad. So they gave 



316 BIBLE STOKIES 

the soldiers who guarded the tomb a large 
sum of money, and told them if they were 
questioned about the matter, to say, " His dis- 
ciples came by night and stole him away while 
we slept." 

It would be a great risk for these guards to 
own that they had slept at their post. And so 
the chief priests and elders said that if anything 
came to the governor's ears, they would per- 
suade him that everything was right, and thus 
the soldiers would be free from all blame in the 
matter. 

On the afternoon of this day two of the dis- 
ciples were talking together on their way to 
Emmaus, a village about seven miles from Je- 
rusalem. 

Their hearts were heavy with grief and disap- 
pointment, for the Master, whom they had fol- 
lowed so closely, and whom they so dearly 
loved, had been taken from them. They could 
think of nothing else, and so they were talking 
over all the sad things which had happened in 
the last few days. As they were thus talking, 
Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 
But their eyes were holden that they should 
not know him. And he said unto them, " What 
communications are these that ye have one to 
another, as ye walk, and are sad ? " And one of 



DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS 317 

them, named Cleopas, answering, said unto him, 
"Dost thou sojourn in Jerusalem, and not know 
the things which are come to pass in these days?" 
And he said unto them, " What things ? " \ 

And they said, " The things concerning Jesus 
of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in deeds 
and words before God and all the people : and 
how the chief priests and our rulers delivered 
him up to be condemned to death, and crucified 
him. But we hoped that it was he which should 
redeem Israel. Yea, and besides all this, it is 
now the third day since these things came to 
pass. Moreover certain women of our com- 
pany amazed us, having been early at the 
tomb; and when they found not his body, 
they came, saying that they had also seen a 
vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 
And certain of them that were with us went to 
the tomb, and found it even so as the women had 
said: but they saw him not." 

When Jesus had heard their story, he said to 
them, " O foolish men, and slow of heart to be- 
lieve all that the prophets have spoken." And 
beginning from Moses and from all the prophets 
he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the 
things concerning himself. 

By this time they had come to the village, 
and, as Jesus seemed about to pass on, they 



318 BIBLE STORIES 

urged him to remain, saying, "Abide with us: 
for it is toward evening, and the day is now 
far spent." And so Jesus granted their wish 
and went in to abide with them. 

Their simple evening meal was quickly pre- 
pared ; and when Jesus sat down to eat with 
them, "he took the bread, and blessed it, and 
brake, and gave to them." Then the eyes of 
the disciples were opened. It was their dear 
Master, with whom they had so often broken 
bread before. How much they had to say to 
him, and how they would enjoy his company ! 

But lo! as they turned to greet him, he "van- 
ished out of their sight." 

They wondered now why they should not have 
known him. They said to each other, " Was 
not our heart burning within us, while he spake 
to us in the way, while he opened to us the 
Scriptures ? " 

They must tell the glad tidings to the other 
disciples, and forgetting how weary they were 
from their long walk, " they rose up that very 
hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the 
eleven gathered together, and them that were 
with them." All these were saying, " The Lord 
is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon." 
And then the two disciples told of all the things 
that had happened on their way to Emmaus, and 



DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS 319 

how their hearts burned in them as Jesus was 
talking, and how he was known to them in the 
breaking of bread. 

Even while they Avere speaking of these 
things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of 
them, and said to them, " Peace be unto you." 

But " they were terrified and affrighted, and 
supposed they had beheld a spirit." And he 
said, " Why are ye troubled ? and wherefore do 
reasonings arise in your heart?" And show- 
ing them his hands and his feet, he said, " See 
my hands and my feet, that it is I myself : 
handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh 
and bones, as ye see me have." And while 
they still disbelieved for joy, and wonder, he 
asked, "Have ye anything to eat?" And they 
gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took 
it, and did eat before them. 

And Jesus tried to explain to them how that 
all the things that Moses and the prophets said 
should happen to him had been fulfilled. Then 
it was that he opened their minds, and gave 
them the wisdom which they needed to under- 
stand the Scriptures. 

He said to them, " Thus it is written, that 
Christ should suffer, and rise again from the 
dead the third day." 

They had seen all this happen, and so they 



320 BIBLE STORIES 

were to go forth and be his witnesses, and call 
all nations to repent and believe on him. 

But Thomas, one of the disciples, was not 
present in the upper room at that time, and 
when the others afterward said to him, '' We 
have seen the Lord," he couldn't believe them. 
He replied, " Except I shall see in his hands 
the print of the nails, and put my fiqger into 
the print of the nails, and put my hand into his 
side, I will not believe." 

After eight days the disciples again met, and 
although the doors were closed, they suddenly 
found that Jesus was standing among them, and 
saying as before, "Peace be unto you." Then 
speaking to Thomas, he said, " Reach hither thy 
finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy 
hand and put it into my side : and be not 
faithless, but believing." 

Jesus remained upon earth forty days, appear- 
ing from time to time unto his disciples, and 
comforting their hearts with his presence and 
with the precious truths which he taught them. 

At length, on a day appointed, Jesus met his 
eleven disciples on the Mount of Olives, and 
when they saw him, they worshipped him. How 
eagerly they listened to his last words ! " All 
authority," he said, "hath been given unto me 
in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and 



I 



DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS 321 

make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them 
into the name of the Father and of the Son and 
of the Holy Spirit : teaching them to observe all 
things whatsoever I have commanded you : and 
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of 
the world." 

And he lifted up his hands and blessed them, 
and, as they w^ere looking, ''he was taken up, 
and a cloud received him out of their sight." 

As they remained there, gazing upward until 
they could see him no longer, behold, two men 
stood beside them in white apparel, saying: 
" Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into 
heaven? This Jesus, which was received up 
from you into heaven, shall so come, in like 
manner as ye behold him going into heaven." 

After these comforting words, the disciples 
returned with joy to the upper room in Jerusa- 
lem, which now had become so dear to them. 
There they often met for praise and prayer, and 
to prepare for the work which Jesus had left 
them to do in the world. 



THE STORY OF SIMON PETER 

This man, who became one of the first disciples 
of Jesus, bore the name of Simon, and was the 
son of Jonas, or John, a fisherman on the Sea of 
Tiberias. He was brought up in the business 
of his father, and he and his brother Andrew 
were partners with James and John, the sons of 
Zebedee. 

The common fishermen of the country lived 
in rude huts by the shore of the sea, but Simon 
was not a day laborer, for he could afford a 
house, first at Bethsaida, and then at Caper- 
naum. He was living in the latter town at the 
time that Jesus cured his wife's mother of a 
fever. 

Andrew had been a disciple of John the 
Baptist, and had heard of Jesus. Perhaps he 
was present at his baptism, and heard John 
exclaim, as he saw Jesus coming to him, " Be- 
hold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the 
sin of the world." He had learned who Jesus 
was, and believed in him as the Christ whom 
all were expecting. One day he came to 
his brother Simon with the good news, ''We 

322 



THE STORY OF SIMON PETER 323 

have found the Messiah;" and he brought 
him to Jesus, who welcomed him kindly, and 
said to him, " Thou art Simon the son of 
John; thou shalt be called Cephas," or Peter, as 
it would be called in the Greek language. 
This became his name ever after, and he felt 
from that time that he had been called to be a 
disciple of Jesus. This call made but little 
difference at first in Peter's daily life. He 
attended as usual to his business, but often 
sought his new Master to hear his gracious 
words. 

But by and by Peter received a second call 
from Jesus. He and his brother Andrew were 
one day fishing in their boat on the Sea 
of Galilee, when Jesus came walking along the 
shore, and called to them, saying, " Come after 
me and I will make you fishers of men." And 
it is said they '' straightway left their nets and 
followed him." Soon after Jesus entered Peter's 
boat, and spoke from it to the crowds of people 
who were gathered upon the shore to hear him. 

Peter attended Jesus quite often after this, 
as he went about from place to place healing 
the sick and teaching the people. 

The time came when Jesus needed more 
helpers in his work, and then he appointed 
twelve men to be his apostles, and Peter seems 



324 BIBLE STORIES 

to have been always foremost among them. 
When Jesus sometimes asked these apostles a 
question, it was Peter always who seemed the 
first to answer. At one time some of his 
disciples, not understanding his words, became 
dissatisfied and left him. When Jesus said to 
the twelve, " Will ye also go away ? " it was 
Peter who answered, " Lord, to whom shall we 
go ? thou hast the words of eternal life, and we 
believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, 
the Son of the living God." 

From this time Peter was known as the 
firmest and most loyal friend of Jesus. Some- 
times, in his zeal to serve him, he was too rash 
and impulsive. 

Once Jesus was teaching the people of what 
would befall him later on. He told them that 
he must suffer many things, and be rejected by 
the elders, and the cliief priests and the rulers, 
and be killed, and after three days rise again. 
Peter loved Jesus so much, and had such faith 
in his power, that he thought such dreadful 
things could not possibly happen to him. And 
he dared to rebuke Jesus for speaking these 
things so openly. Jesus was obliged to reprove 
Peter for his rashness, and said to him, " Get 
thee behind me, Satan: for thou mindest not the 
things of God, but the things of men." 



THE STORY OF SIMON PETER 325 

It was not long after this that Jesus chose 
Peter and two others of his disciples to go with 
him upon the mountain, and see a vision of his 
glory. Peter seems to have misunderstood this 
vision, for when Moses and Elijah appeared and 
talked with Jesus, he thought they had come to 
remain with them, and he wanted to build 
there three tabernacles in which his Master and 
these heavenly visitors might live. 

Sometimes Peter relied too much on his own 
strength, and lost faith in Jesus. One night 
Jesus surprised his disciples, who were out upon 
the Sea of Galilee, by walking toward them on 
the water. They were afraid at first, but when 
they heard his well-known voice say, " Be of 
good cheer : it is I ; be not afraid, " their fear 
was turned into joy. Peter cried out, " Lord, if 
it be thou, bid me come to thee on the waters." 
And when Jesus said " Come," Peter went down 
from the boat, and walked upon the waters to 
go to him. But when he saw the wind, he was 
afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, say- 
ing, '' Lord, save me." Jesus stretched forth his 
hand, and said to Peter, " O thou of little faith, 
wherefore didst thou doubt?" As soon as he 
lost his faith in the power of Jesus to keep him, 
he sank in the water, and cried out for help. 

Peter's zeal for his Master seemed to grow 



326 BIBLE STORIES 

stronger as time went on, but it was not always 
shown in the wisest way. When, at the Last 
Supper, Jesus told his disciples that one of them 
should betray him, Peter was more anxious than 
any of them to know whom he meant, and wanted 
Jesus to point the traitor out. Peter was prob- 
ably one of the disciples who were striving at 
that time for the best place at the table. When 
Jesus left it and began washing the disciples' 
feet, Peter was much astonished, and when it 
became his turn, he asked with wonder and 
shame, "Lord, dost thou wash my feet?" 

Jesus answered, "What I do thou knowest 
not now, but thou shalt understand hereafter." 
But Peter wished to know all about it then, 
and cried out, in his impulsive way, " Thou 
shalt never wash my feet." 

But when Jesus said to him, " If I wash thee 
not, thou hast no part with me," then he not 
only wanted his feet washed, but his hands and 
his head also. 

Peter assured Jesus one day that he would 
follow him gladly wherever he went, and that 
he would lay down his life for him. It was 
then that Jesus told him, that before the cock 
should crow in the morning he would three 
times deny him. 

All this happened as Jesus said, and Peter 



THE STORY OF SIMON PETER 327 

had hardly spoken his third denial when the 
cock crew, and then, as he remembered his 
Master's words, a great wave of sorrow swept 
over him, and he " went out and wept bitterly." 

Peter and John were the first of his disciples 
to whom Mary Magdalene brought the news of 
Jesus' resurrection. They both ran with all 
haste to the tomb, but John reached there first, 
and, looking in, found it empty. When Peter 
arrived he was not satisfied with looking in, but 
he entered the tomb; and finding the linen 
grave-clothes of Jesus lying there, he knew 
then that his Lord was indeed gone. 

Jesus appeared many times to his disciples 
after his resurrection. One day when a number 
of them had gone out fishing upon the Sea of 
Galilee, they saw Jesus standing upon the beach, 
just as the sun was rising. 

He called out to them, " Children, have ye 
anything to eat ? " They were obliged to an- 
swer " No,"* for they had been toiling all night, 
and had taken.no fish. Jesus said to them, 
" Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and 
ye shall find." 

They did as he directed, and now they were 
not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 
One of the disciples said to Peter, " It is the 
Lord." When he heard that, he was too im- 



328 BIBLE STORIES 

patient to wait for a boat to take him to land, 
'^ but girt his coat about him and cast himself 
into the sea." It was near the shore, and Peter 
reached it in safety, while the others came to 
land in their little boat. 

They found a fire of coals already there, with 
some bread and fish cooking upon it. Jesus 
told them first to bring the fish they had just 
taken. 

Simon Peter, therefore, went up and drew the 
net to land, full of great fishes, a hundred and 
fifty-three ; and for all there were so many the 
net was not rent. 

Then Jesus said to them, " Come and break 
your fast." They all gladly obeyed him, for 
they had been working all night, and must have 
been very hungry. Jesus served them with 
the bread and fish. They knew it was their 
Lord, and none of them dared ask him, " Who 
art thou ? " 

After they had eaten, Jesus turned to Peter 
and said, " Simon, son of John, lovest thou me 
more than these?" He saith unto him, "Yea, 
Lord ; thou knowest that I love thee." He 
saith unto him, "Feed my lambs." Then Jesus 
saith to him again the secctnd time, " Simon, son 
of John, lovest thou me ? " He saith unto him, 
"Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee." 



THE STORY OF SIMON PETER 329 

He saith unto him, "Tend my sheep." Then 
Jesus saith unto him the third time, " Simon, son 
of John, lovest thou me?" Peter was grieved 
because he said unto him the third time, " Lov- 
est thou me?" And he said unto him, "Lord, 
thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I 
love thee." Jesus saith unto him, "Feed my 
sheep." 

Perhaps it was because Peter had three times 
denied his Lord, that Jesus asked him three 
times so solemnly if he really loved him. 

Then Jesus told Peter of what should hap- 
pen to him in the future. He said, "Verily, 
verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young 
thou girdedst thyself and walkedst whither 
thou wouldest : but when thou shalt be old, thou 
shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall 
gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest 
not." 

Jesus meant by saying this " by what manner 
of death he should glorify God." Peter was 
not satisfied to know about himself, but seeing 
John standing near, he said to Jesus, "Lord, 
and what shall this man do?" 

, Jesus did not answer Peter's question directly, 
but assured him that what should happen to John 
was no concern of his. " What is that to thee? " 
he said; "follow thou me." 



330 BIBLE STORIES 

One of Jesus' last commands to his disciples 
was for them to meet together in Jerusalem and 
there wait until the Holy Spirit should come to 
comfort and instruct them. Peter seems now 
to have taken the lead among the apostles, and 
it was he who proposed that they should choose 
another to take the place of Judas, who had so 
miserably fallen by betraying his Master. And 
the lot fell upon Matthias, who then was num- 
bered with the eleven. 

On the day of Pentecost, they were all gath- 
ered in the upper room at Jerusalem, where they 
had so often met. " And suddenly there came 
from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a^ 
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where 
they were sitting. And there appeared unto 
them tongues parting asunder like as of fire; 
and it sat upon each one of them. And they 
were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began 
to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave 
them utterance." 

A great crowd of people was there, from many 
foreign cities, and when every man heard the 
disciples speaking in his own language, they 
were all amazed and marvelled, saying : " Behold, 
are not all these that speak Galileans? And 
how hear we, every man in our own language, 
wherein we were born ? " 



THE STORY OF SIMON PETER 331 

A strange and wonderful thing had happened, 
and they said one to another, " What meaneth 
this?" Others, who had no faith in its being a 
work of God, accused the apostles of drunken- 
ness, and said, " They are filled with new wine." 
But Peter, who knew this was the coming of the 
Spirit that Jesus had promised, boldly denied 
that any of their number were drunken with 
wine, but said, "This is that which hath been 
spoken of by the prophet Joel." And then he 
preached to the people in such earnest words 
that three thousand of them believed on Jesus 
and were baptized. 

The apostles were still regular in their wor- 
ship at the Temple in Jerusalem. One day, as 
Peter and John were about to enter the Beautiful 
Gate, they saw a lame man sitting there, and 
he asked them to give him money. Peter said 
to the man, " Look on us," and he gave heed to 
them, expecting to receive something from them. 
But Peter said : " Silver and gold have I none ; 
but what I have that give I thee. In the name 
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." And he 
took him by the hand and raised him up, and 
immediately his feet and ankle bones received 
strength. And leaping up, he stood and began 
to walk ; and he entered with them into the 
Temple, walking, and leaping, and praising 



332 BIBLE STORIES 

God. The people who had seen him sitting 
day after day at the Beautiful Gate asking for 
help, " were filled with wonder and amazement 
at that which had happened to him." When 
Peter saw the crowd looking with such wonder 
upon himself, he told them that it was not by 
the apostles' own power that this man had 
been made to walk. And he preached to them 
about Jesus of Nazareth, and boldly told them 
that they had killed the ^^Holy and Righteous 
One." 

This speech of Peter was reported to the high 
priest, and he had the apostles brought before 
the council the next day. The council spoke to 
them in regard to the lame man, and asked them, 
" By what power, or in what name, have ye done 
this ? " Peter answered : " Ye rulers of the 
people, and elders, if we this day be examined 
concerning a good deed done to an impotent 
man, by what means this man is made whole; 
be it known unto you all, and to all the people 
of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of 
Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised 
from the dead, even in him doth this man stand 
here before you whole. He is the stone which 
was set at naught of you the builders, which 
was made the head of the corner. And in none 
other is there salvation : for neither is there any 



THE STORY OF SIMON PETER 333 

other name under heaven, that is given among 
men, wherein we must be saved." 

The members of the council were astonished 
at the boldness of Peter and John, and won- 
dered how men, whom they had always looked 
upon as unlearned and ignorant, could speak in 
this way. It was in this manner that Jesus 
spake, "and they took knowledge that these 
apostles had been with him." 

The chief priests were now afraid of the 
apostles, who dared to speak the truth so boldly. 
They said to each other, " What shall we do to 
these men ? " They could not deny that a great 
miracle had been done, for the lame man was 
standing there, and as able to walk as any of 
the others. Something must be done to stop 
this work from going on any farther. So they 
called Peter and John, and charged them not to 
speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus. 
But the apostles would give no promise. They 
said, " We cannot but speak the things which we 
saw and heard." 

After this Peter went boldly forth, preaching 
everywhere, and healing all the sick people 
who were brought to him. So many believed 
in his healing power, that they even carried 
their sick friends out into the streets and laid 
them on beds and couches, so that as Peter 



334 



BIBLE STORIES 



went by at least his shadow might fall upon 
them. 

There was a good woman in Joppa named 
Dorcas, who believed in Jesus and tried to 
follow him in doing good. One day the sad 
news went abroad that she was dead. Her 
friends sent in haste for Peter, saying to him, 
"Delay not to come unto us." And when he 
had come, they brought him into the upper 
chamber, and all the widows stood by him, 
weeping, and showing the coats and garments 
which Dorcas made while she was with them. 

But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled 
down, and prayed ; and turning to the body, he 
said, " Tabitha, arise." And she opened her 
eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 
And he gave her his hand and raised her up; 
and calling the saints and widows, he presented 
her alive. And as this became known through- 
out Joppa, many believed on the Lord. 

Peter now seems to have given his whole time 
to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus. In doing 
this he went to many different places, where he 
formed churches. He visited Antioch, and there 
he found many who believed on Jesus, and these 
he received into the church. These people were 
Gentiles, and the Christian Jews thought they 
were unfit, on this account, to join their church. 



THE STORY OF SIMON PETER 335 

There was so much said about this in Jerusalem 
that Peter went there to explain the matter. He 
told them he had seen a wonderful vision, which 
taught him that God made no distinction in 
people ; that whoever believed on Jesus, of 
whatever nation, would be accepted. 

Not long after this. King Herod, who was a 
most wicked and cruel man, began a persecu- 
tion of the Christians. And finding that this 
pleased the Jews, he seized Peter also and put 
him in prison. His friends in the church were 
so anxious for his life that they prayed earnestly 
to God for him. 

He was securely bound in the prison with 
chains. One night, when the guards were 
keeping the door as usual, and Peter was sleep- 
ing between two soldiers, an angel appeared. 
A bright light filled the cell, and the angel 
smote Peter upon the side, and awoke him, say- 
ing, "Rise up quickly." As he did so, the 
chains fell off from his hands. And the angel 
said to him, " Gird thyself, and bind on thy 
sandals ; " and he did so. And he said unto 
him, " Cast thy garment about thee and follow 
me," and he went out and followed him. 

Peter thought that it could not be true, that 
he was free from his chains, but that it must be 
a dream. He still went on with the angel. 



336 BIBLE STORIES 

And when they were past the first and the 
second ward, they came unto the iron gate 
that leadeth into the city; which opened to 
them of its own accord: and they went out 
and passed on through one street : and straight- 
way the angel departed from him. 

And when Peter was come to himself, he said, 
''Now I know of a truth that the Lord hath sent 
forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand 
of Herod, and from all the expectation of the 
people of the Jews." And when he had con- 
sidered the thing, he came to the house of 
Mary the mother of John whose surname was 
Mark; where many were gathered together and 
were praying. And when he knocked at the door 
of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda. 
And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened 
not the gate for joy, but ran in and told that 
Peter stood before the gate. And they said 
unto her, " Thou art mad." But she confi- 
dently affirmed that it was even so. And they 
said, "It is his angel." 

But Peter continued knocking: and when 
they had opened, they saw him, and were 
amazed. But he, beckoning unto them with 
the hand to hold their peace, declared unto 
them how the Lord had brought him forth out 
of the prison. And he said, " Tell these things 



THE STORy OF SIMON PETER 337 

unto James, and to the brethren." And he 
departed, and went to another place. 

Now as soon as it was day, there was no small 
stir among the soldiers, what was become of 
Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, 
and found him not, he examined the guards, 
and commanded that they should be put to 
death. 

Peter was spared many years to work for the 
Master he loved, and to preach the gospel. He 
founded churches in many places, and to these 
he wrote letters, only two of which are found in 
the Bible. In these letters he tried to comfort 
and strengthen his friends, in the many trials 
that believers in Jesus had to suffer in those 
days. Some hold that the last year of his life 
he went to Rome, and, together with Paul, 
founded the church in that city. 

During the dreadful persecution in the reign 
of the Roman emperor Nero, he was taken pris- 
oner and condemned to be crucified. There is a 
tradition, that by his own wish he was placed 
upon the cross with his head downward, be- 
lieving himself unworthy to suffer in the same 
manner that Jesus did. 

Peter lived a grand and noble life, and we 
think of him now as sharing the joys of heaven 
with the Master he loved. 



THE APOSTLE PAUL 

This man, who is known to us in the Bible as 
the Apostle to the Gentiles, was born in Tarsus, 
a city of Cilicia. His father was a Hebrew, of 
the tribe of Benjamin, and belonged to the sect 
of the Pharisees. He was also a Roman citizen, 
but we are not told how he obtained that privi- 
lege, whether he bought it, and paid a great price 
for it, as many others did, or whether he gained 
it by performing some special service for the 
Roman government. 

His son was freeborn to this honor, and was 
given the Jewish name of Saul ; and he lived 
through his boyhood in Tarsus. This was a 
fine seaport in the Mediterranean Sea, and was 
a busy and flourishing place. Many Hebrews 
lived there, and they had their own private 
schools, and worshipped in their Jewish syna- 
gogues on the Sabbath. 

It is quite likely that young Saul attended 
one of these schools in his early boyhood. But 
he tells us in one of his speeches, that, although 
born in Tarsus, he was brought up in Jerusalem. 

338 



THE APOSTLE PAUL 339 

His parents wanted him to be thoroughly trained 
as a Jewish scholar, so as to be fitted for a 
rabbi when he grew up. As there was a famous 
doctor of the law in Jerusalem called Gamaliel, 
Saul was sent there when a boy to become his 
pupil. While living there he heard of the 
strange prophet who was known as Jesus of 
Nazareth, and how that the truths which he 
taught were more and more believed in by those 
who called themselves his disciples. Like the 
rest of the Jews, Saul believed Jesus to have 
been an impostor, and one who had suffered 
justly, because he had blasphemed against God. 

The believers in Jesus grew so fast in num- 
bers that there were many thousands of them in 
Jerusalem, and when a large church was formed 
there, the Jews began to fear their power. 

This church appointed seven men to assist 
the apostles in their work, and among them was 
Stephen, a young Greek, who was a Jew in his 
belief, but who had learned to love and serve 
Jesus. This Stephen went about preaching 
boldly in the name of his Master, and Saul had 
probably been one of his hearers. We are told 
that some of them from Cilicia, the country 
where Saul was born, disputed with Stephen 
about the new doctrines. It is not impossible 
that Saul was one of them. 



340 BIBLE STORIES 

When Stephen was condemned to die by- 
stoning, and so became the first Christian martyr, 
Saul, it is said, was consenting unto his death, 
and he was the one who took charge of the 
clothing of those who cast the first stones. 

Saul thought that all who believed in Jesus 
should suffer death as Stephen had, and he was 
so in earnest about this that he began at once 
to arrest people and bring them before the 
Jewish rulers. In this dreadful persecution, at 
Jerusalem, Saul is said to have " laid waste the 
church, entering into every house, and haling 
men and women committed them to prison." 
He was so full of zeal in this cruel work that 
he asked for letters from the high priest, giving 
him permission to go to Damascus, and if he 
found any there who believed in Jesus, whether 
they were men or women, to bring them as pris- 
oners to Jerusalem. 

It was quite a long journey to Damascus, but 
at last the city, which from a distance is always 
described as very beautiful, came in sight. Saul 
was no doubt very glad that he was near the 
end of his journey, and was perhaps making 
plans to begin his work there at once. But 
suddenly there shone round about him a light 
out of heaven : and he fell upon the earth, and 
heard a voice saying unto him, '' Saul, Saul, why 



THE APOSTLE PAUL 341 

persecutest thou me ? " And he said, '' Who art 
thou, Lord ? " And he said, '' I am Jesus, whom 
thou persecutest: but rise and enter the city, 
and it shall be told thee what thou must do." 
And the men that journeyed with him stood 
speechless, hearing the voice, but beholding no 
man. And Saul arose from the earth ; and when 
his eyes were opened, he saw nothing ; and they 
led him by the hand, and brought him into 
Damascus. And he was three days without 
sight, and did neither eat nor drink. 

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, 
named Ananias ; and the Lord said unto him in 
a vision, ^'Ananias." And he said, "Behold, I 
am here, Lord." And the Lord said unto him, 
"Arise, and go to the street which is called 
Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for 
one named Saul, a man of Tarsus : for behold, he 
prayeth ; and he hath seen a man named Ananias 
coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he 
might receive his sight." But Ananias answered, 
" Lord, I have heard from many of this man, 
how much evil he did to thy saints at Jerusalem : 
and here he hath authority from the chief priests 
to bind all that call upon thy name." But the 
Lord said unto him, " Go thy way : for he is a 
chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before 
the Gentiles and kings, and the children of 



342 BIBLE STORIES 

Israel : for I will show how many things he 
must suffer for my name's sake." 

And Ananias departed and entered into the 
house : and laying his hands on him, said, 
" Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who ap- 
peared unto thee in the way which thou camest, 
hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, 
and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And straight- 
way there fell from his eyes as it were scales, 
and he received his sight ; and he arose and 
was baptized; and he took food and was 
strengthened. 

Saul had now become a new man, and instead 
of going into the synagogue to arrest people 
who believed in Jesus, he went there as a be- 
liever himself, and began to proclaim Jesus as 
the Son of God. And all that heard him were 
amazed, and said, " Is not this he that in Jeru- 
salem made havoc of them which called on this 
name? and he had come hither for this intent, 
that he might bring them bound before the 
chief priests?" 

But Saul became every day stronger in the 
faith, and he confounded the Jews which dwelt 
at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. 

Saul was becoming a dangerous man and must 
not be allowed to teach this new religion, so 
the Jews took counsel to kill him, and watched 



THE APOSTLE PAUL 343 

the gates night and day, that they might arrest 
him. But some of Saul's friends heard of their 
plan, and as he lodged in a house upon the city 
walls, they placed him in a basket and lowered 
him out of the window upon the wall, and in 
this way he escaped. 

When Saul returned to Jerusalem he went 
to the disciples and wanted to join the church 
there. But they were afraid of him, not be- 
lieving that he was a disciple. At length his 
friend Barnabas told the apostles that the Lord 
had spoken to Saul in a wonderful way, and 
that he was really a changed man, and had 
preached boldly at Damascus in the name of 
Jesus. They were very glad then to receive 
him, and he stayed for some time in Jerusalem, 
where by his learning he was able to dispute 
with the Grecian Jews. But as they sought to 
kill him, he had to flee from the city, and his 
life began to be in danger everywhere. 

Saul started upon his first missionary journey 
with Barnabas, and John Mark, who was the 
latter's nephew. They went first to Cyprus, 
which was once the home of Barnabas, and when 
they had gone through the whole island they 
came to Paphos ; and there they found a 
sorcerer who was deceiving the people. 

And Saul, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, 



344 BIBLE STORIES 

fastened his eyes upon him, and reproved him 
severely, and said to him, " Behold, the hand of 
the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, 
not seeing the sun for a season." This at once 
happened as the apostle said, and the man went 
about seeking some one to lead him. Sergius 
Paulus, the Roman proconsul of the island, 
when he saw what was done, believed, being 
astonished at the teaching of the Lord. 

From this time Saul appears to have become 
the leader, instead of Barnabas; and as if to 
show that he had taken a new place, he was 
ever afterward called by the name of Paul. 

In pursuing their journey they came to An- 
tioch in Pisidia, and it being the Sabbath day, 
they went into the synagogue there, and sat 
down. After the reading of the law and the 
prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto 
them saying, " Brethren, if ye have any word of 
exhortation for the people, say on." 

Then Paul rose, and beckoning with his hand 
to gain their attention, he spoke earnestly to 
them of the new Way. He told them that 
God had fulfilled all the precious promises made 
to his people, by the sending of his Son Jesus 
into the world. 

" Be it known unto you, brethren," he said, 
'' that through this man is proclaimed unto you 



THE APOSTLE PAUL 345 

remission of sins : and by him every one that 
believeth is justified from all things, from which 
ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." 
This was indeed good news, and it spread so 
fast that on the next Sabbath the whole city 
gathered to hear the word of God. 

But the Jews were jealous when they saw the 
crowds that came to hear the apostles preach, 
and they contradicted the words of Paul, and 
even blasphemed. Paul assured them that it was 
right for them, being Jews, to have this gospel 
preached first to them; but as they would not 
hear, and themselves were unworthy of eternal 
life, " lo," he said, " we turn to the Gentiles." 

These Gentiles, who had been eagerly listen- 
ing to Paul, were glad when they heard this, 
and many of them believed, and glorified God. 
But the Jews were so angry that they stirred 
up a persecution against the apostles, and cast 
them out of their borders. 

At the next place to which they went, and 
where they preached to great crowds, another 
persecution was raised against them ; and when 
they found they were in danger of being stoned, 
they fled to the cities of Lycaonia. 

When they reached Lystra, they found a lame 
man who had been a cripple from his birth, and 
had never walked. Paul saw how earnestly this 



846 BIBLE STORIES 

man was listening to his words, and knew he had 
faith enough to be made whole. So Paul said 
to him, with a loud voice, " Stand upright upon 
thy feet." And he leaped up and walked. 

When the people saw this they cried out in 
their language, " The gods have come down to 
us in the likeness of men." Among the gods 
in whom they believed, Jupiter was thought to 
be the most powerful ; so they called Barnabas 
by his name, and Paul, who was probably small 
and of less commanding appearance, they named 
Mercury. 

Jupiter had a temple in the city, and the priest 
who served him brought oxen and garlands into^ 
the gates, and would have made sacrifice with 
the multitude. 

But when Barnabas and Paul heard of it they 
sprang forth among them, crying out : " Sirs, why 
do ye these things? We also are men of like 
passions with you, and bring you good tidings, 
that ye should turn from these vain things unto 
the living God, who made the heaven and the 
earth and the sea and all that in them is." 

The apostles could scarcely keep these people 
from worshipping them as gods, but the people 
soon lost their good opinion. The Jews who 
had treated them so shamefully in Antioch and 
Iconium came and told such evil things of them. 



i 



THE APOSTLE PAUL 347 

that they "stoned Paul, and dragged him out 
of the city, supposing he was dead." But soon, 
while the disciples were standing about him, 
he revived, and was able to proceed upon his 
journey the next day. 

The apostles returned at last to Antioch, from 
which city they had first started, and as they 
came to the places where they had taught the 
people, they visited them again to comfort their 
hearts, and strengthen them in their new faith. 

By and by Paul started on a second mission- 
ary journey, and having separated from Barnabas 
and his nephew, who had gone another way, 
he took Silas as his companion, and Timothy, 
a young man who had become a believer in 
Lystra. 

After travelling to many different places, and 
preaching wherever people would gather to hear 
him, he came at last to Troas, where he had a 
vision which altogether changed his plans. As 
he was sleeping one night near the shore of the 
^gean Sea, he saw a man standing on the oppo- 
site shore, beckoning to him, and crying out, 
"Come over into Macedonia, and help us." 

.Paul rightly believed this to be a call from 
God, and the very next day he crossed the sea, 
and began for the first time to work for his 
Master in Europe. As he went from city to 



348 BIBLE STORIES 

city the people heard him gladly, and many 
churches were formed in the cities of Greece. 

At Athens he interested the people so much 
that they wanted to hear more about the new 
faith, and so he preached to them from Mars 
Hill a most wonderful sermon. He assured his 
hearers that the Unknown God whose altar he 
had seen in their city was the One who had 
made the world and all things therein. That 
even their own poets had said, " For we are also 
his offspring." They listened quietly for a while, 
but when he urged them to believe in and serve 
this God, who would one day be their judge, 
and when he spoke to them of the resurrection 
of the dead, some mocked, and others said, "We 
will hear thee concerning this again." Very 
few believed his message, and Paul never again 
visited Athens. 

At Corinth many of the people lived very 
wicked and impure lives, and cared not to hear 
of a religion which condemned all such things. 
The Jews there were so bitter against Paul that 
he was forced to leave their synagogues, and 
feared that he would be obliged to leave the 
city also. But the Lord appeared to him in the 
night, saying, "Be not afraid, but speak, and 
hold not thy peace : for I am with thee ; and no 
man shall set on thee to harm thee: for I have 



I 




— ^ ^ 









THE APOSTLE PAUL 349 

much people in this city." Paul was so en- 
couraged by these words, and he worked so 
faithfully, that soon there were enough believers 
to form a church. 

Paul afterward made a third missionary jour- 
ney, visiting many of the cities of Asia Minor. 
At Ephesus he had an exciting experience. 
That was considered a sacred city, for it con- 
tained a magnificent temple of the goddess 
Diana. This idol was believed to have fallen 
from heaven, and many pilgrims came every 
year to Ephesus to worship her. The silver- 
smiths made and sold to these pilgrims a great 
number of little silver images of the goddess. 

At the preaching of Paul so many began to 
believe in the religion of Jesus that these silver- 
smiths lost much of their trade. This made 
them so angry that they raised a mob against 
Paul, and obliged him to leave the city. But 
enough people had believed in Christ to form a 
church, and one of the most learned and inter- 
esting of Paul's letters was written to the 
Ephesians. 

These letters of the apostle were written to 
many others of the churches which he founded. 
He loved and cared for them all, and whenever 
they needed advice, or were troubled about any 
matter, he would help them by sending them a 



350 BIBLE STORIES 

letter written by his own hand, or by some one 
else to whom he gave the message. 

After many years' wandering in these foreign 
cities, Paul felt that he must go once more to 
Jerusalem. His friends tried to dissuade him 
from doing this, for they knew that he had 
many bitter enemies there, who would seek to 
take his life. But he would not listen to them, 
and kept steadily on in his homeward journey. 

He arrived at Jerusalem on the day of Pente- 
cost, when the city was full of Jews from all 
parts of the world. One day he went into the 
Temple, and some of the Ephesian Jews who had 
known of his work in that city recognized him, 
and cried out against him as a heretic. They 
said he had blasphemed against the Jewish 
nation and their law, and they raised such a 
tumult that he was nearly killed right there in 
the court of the Jews. Before they could bring 
him into the Gentile court of the Temple some 
Roman guards who had heard the noise rushed 
to the place and took him into their charge. 

When Paul protested against this treatment, 
and cried out that he was a Roman citizen, the 
soldiers were more careful what they did to him, 
and lodged him safely in prison for protection 
from the Jews. But these people were so deter- 
mined that Paul should die, that forty of them 



THE APOSTLE PAUL 351 

took a solemn oath that they would neither 
eat nor drink until they had slain him. 

Paul's nephew heard of this plot, and went 
and told his uncle of it in prison. And at 
Paul's request the centurion let the young 
man inform the chief captain ; and he charged 
Paul's nephew to keep the matter secret. 
Then, to save Paul's life, the captain called 
unto him two centurions and said, "Make readj^ 
two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, 
and horsemen threescore and ten, and spear- 
men two hundred, at the third hour of the 
night ; " and he bade them provide beasts that 
they might set Paul thereon, and bring him 
safe unto Felix the governor. A letter was 
written to Felix telling all about Paul, and of 
what he was accused, and when the governor 
received it, and the prisoner was brought 
before him, he promised to attend to the matter 
soon. 

Felix was kind to Paul, and even allowed 
his friends to visit him in the prison. In a few 
days he came with his wife Drusilla, who was a 
Jewess, and Paul was sent for to appear before 
them. He talked to them so plainly, as he 
reasoned of righteousness, and temperance, and 
the judgment to come, that Felix was terrified, 
and said to Paul, " Go thy way for this time : 



352 BIBLE STORIES 

and when I have a convenient season, I will call 
for thee." 

Paul was kept in the prison at Caesarea for 
two years, and when Festus, the new governor, 
came to rule the province, he found him a 
prisoner there. 

After a certain time Paul was brought before 
Festus, who wanted to send him back to Jeru- 
salem to be tried in a court there. But Paul 
knew that, as a citizen of Rome, his case ought 
to be tried by that government, and so he said 
to Festus, "I appeal unto Caesar." An appeal 
to the emperor could not be set aside, so the 
governor was obliged to grant Paul's wish, and 
he was sent back to prison, to remain until he 
could be taken to Rome. 

A few days after. King Agrippa, with his 
wife Bernice, came to the city with great pomp. 
Hearing that Festus had a remarkable prisoner 
in the city, he expressed a wish to see him. 
When Paul was brought before him, and the 
king said to him, " Thou art permitted to speak 
for thyself," Paul stretched forth his hand, 
and said, " I think myself happy. King Agrippa, 
that I am to make my defence before thee this 
day touching all the things whereof 1 am 
accused of the Jews." 

And then he spoke in such an impressive way 



THE APOSTLE PAUL 353 

of his former life, and of the wonderful manner 
in which he was brought to believe in Jesus, 
that Festus cried out, with a loud voice, " Paul, 
thou art mad : thy much learning doth turn thee 
to madness." 

But Paul calmly answered, " I am not mad, 
most noble Festus, but speak forth the words 
of truth and soberness." King Agrippa, as he 
listened, was apparently impressed by the truth 
himself, for he said to Paul, "With but little 
persuasion thou wouldest have made me a 
Christian," though probably not in earnest. 

We cannot help admiring the grand answer 
which Paul made him. He said, "I would to 
God, that whether with little or with much, not 
thou only but also all that hear me this day, 
might become such as I am, except these bonds." 

As he said this he must have stretched forth 
his hands, showing the chains upon his wrists, 
for Roman prisoners were never for a moment 
left unchained. 

King Agrippa felt quite sure that Paul had 
done " nothing worthy of death or of bonds," 
and he told Festus, " This man might have been 
set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar." 
As he had done this he must be sent to Rome, 
and very soon he was placed on board a ship 
which sailed for that city. 



354 BIBLE STOBIES 

During the voyage a violent storm arose and 
they were shipwrecked, and cast upon the island 
of Melita. Had it not been for Paul, who had 
more wisdom and courage than any of the 
others, not a soul of their company would have 
been saved. 

After three months Paul again set sail, and 
this time he had a prosperous and safe voyage. 
He must have felt somewhat sad and lonely as 
he came in sight of Rome, where he had often 
longed to work for Christ. He had become an 
old man now, and as he was a prisoner in chains, 
he could hope to do but little there. 

At one of the small towns, as he was approach- 
ing the city, a band of Christians who had heard 
of his coming met to give him a welcome. And 
when, a few miles farther on, more of his friends 
came to greet him, he was so greatly cheered, 
that the Bible says, " he thanked God and took 
courage." 

Although Paul was kept a prisoner in Rome, 
he was given a great deal of liberty. He was 
allowed to live in his own hired house, and 
could go about as he pleased, only that a 
soldier always attended him. 

While a prisoner at Rome he taught all who 
came to him, and as his guard was changed 
every few hours, he had the chance to speak to 



THE APOSTLE PAUL 355 

many different persons about the religion of 
Jesus. Believers soon began to grow in num- 
bers, and many in the palace of the emperor 
became Christians. Paul wrote some of his 
grandest letters while in Rome, and they have 
been a comfort to Christian hearts ever since. 

After two years he was brought to trial, and 
as nothing was found against him he was set at 
liberty. We learn that again he went about, 
teaching among the churches which he founded, 
and which he loved so much. But this peaceful 
and busy time lasted a little while only. The 
city of Rome was one day burned to the ground, 
and it was said that it was set on fire by the 
wicked emperor Nero himself. Whether this 
was true or not, he in turn laid the crime to 
the Christians, and there began from that time 
the most dreadful persecution. 

It was not long before Paul was again arrested 
and sent back to Rome, and this time he was 
put in a prison cell. It was so damp and un- 
comfortable, that he wrote to Timothy, asking 
him to bring him a cloak which he left at 
Troas, to protect him from the cold. And he 
begged Timothy to come and see him once more ; 
for he longed for a friend's sympathy. He had 
a peculiar affection for this young man, who was 
one of his first converts, and whom he had trained 



356 BIBLE STORIES 

for the ministry ; and often spoke of him as his 
"beloved son." 

But although Paul's imprisonment seemed a 
hopeless one, his courage never failed, and when 
he knew that he must soon die, he wrote to 
Timothy, " For I am already being offered, 
and the time of my departure is come ; " and 
almost in the words of triumph he adds, "I 
have fought the good fight, I have finished the 
course, I have kept the faith : henceforth there 
is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, 
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give 
me at that day : and not only to me, but also 
to all them that have loved his appearing." 

At his second trial, before Nero, Paul was 
sentenced to death, and he was led out of the 
city to the place appointed, followed by a noisy 
rabble, and there he was beheaded. 

It seems a dreadful thing that Nero, who was 
a monster of wickedness, should have been 
allowed to put to death one of the best and 
purest men who ever lived. But it was a happy 
release to Paul, who at once received a martyr's 
crown, and was made one of the great company 
in heaven " who have washed their robes and 
made them white in the blood of the Lamb." 



JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE 

The story of John, as we find it in the Bible, 
is somewhat brief, although he was one of the 
truest and most loyal of Christ's followers, and 
is always spoken of as " the disciple whom Jesus 
loved." 

He was the son of Zebedee, and, with his 
brother James, was a fisherman, and a partner 
in business with Simon Peter and Andrew. 
They belonged to the better class of fishermen, 
and were able to employ servants to help them 
in their work. 

We first hear of John on the day that Jesus 
called him with his brother James to leave their 
nets and follow him, telling them that he would 
make them fishers of men. We soon after read 
of these brothers in company with Peter follow- 
ing their Master, as he went about teaching in 
the synagogues or by the wayside. John was 
with the twelve as they listened to the Sermon 
on the Mount, and he was one of three who 
" beheld his glory " when Jesus appeared in the 
spotless garments, which were "white as the 
light." 

357 



358 BIBLE STORIES 

John believed, as did the other apostles, that 
Jesus was the Messiah that had so long been 
promised to the Jews, but thought his kingdom 
was to be an earthly one. As his followers 
grew in numbers, they hoped he would one day 
proclaim himself their king, and become the 
ruler of the people. 

John's mother was anxious, when this kingdom 
should be set up, that her two sons, James and 
John, who were now such close friends of Jesus, 
should be among the honored ones. So she 
came one day to Jesus with these sons, and 
worshipped him. Seeing that she wished to ask 
some favor, Jesus said to her, " What wouldest 
thou ? " She said to him, '' Command that these 
my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand, and 
one on thy left hand, in thy kingdom." 

But Jesus, speaking to the sons as well as to 
their mother, answered, " Ye know not what ye 
ask." And then he said to them, " Are ye able 
to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" 
They say to him, " We are able." 

The cup which Jesus meant was the death 
which he would die, and he said, " My cup in- 
deed ye shall drink, but to sit on my right hand, 
and on my left hand, is not mine to give, but it 
is for them for whom it hath been prepared of 
my Father." 



JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE 359 

And then Jesus tried to teach them the true 
way of becoming great. He said, " Whosoever 
Avould become great among you shall be your 
minister; and whosoever would be first among 
you shall be your servant; even as the Son of man 
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, 
and to give his life a ransom for many." 

John learned in time all about this kingdom 
of Jesus, and he wished no higher honor than to 
follow in his jNIaster's steps, and do the works 
which he did. 

It was John who leaned on Jesus' bosom as 
they were reclining on their couches at the Last 
Supper, and heard all the loving words which 
he spoke there. In the story which he gave of 
Jesus' life, he wrote all these sayings as he 
remembered them, and they are among the most 
precious words which are recorded as having 
been spoken by Jesus. 

When the chief captain and the officers of the 
Jews seized Jesus on the night of his betrayal, 
all the disciples who were with him forsook 
him and fled, except Peter and John. Peter 
followed him afar off, but John seems to have 
kept as near as possible to his dear Master. 

When Jesus was taken to the palace of Cai- 
aphas, John, who was an acquaintance of the 
high priest, was allowed to enter the court. 



360 BIBLE STORIES 

where he could see all that was done there. 
He was present when Jesus was insulted and 
mocked, and when he was struck in the face by- 
one of the officers. Perhaps in some way, if by 
a look only, John was able to show Jesus that 
he still loved and trusted in him. 

When Jesus was taken to Calvary, John, with 
others of his dearest friends, followed the sad 
procession. And we are told that while Jesus 
was suffering there, his mother, with her sister 
and Mary Magdalene and others, was standing 
by the cross. John was there also, and as Jesus 
looked upon him standing so near her, he said 
to him, "Behold thy mother." And to his 
mother he said, "Woman, behold thy son." 
It was in this way that Jesus tenderly placed 
his mother in the care of the disciple whom he 
loved. John gladly received the trust given 
him, " and from that hour he took her unto his 
own home." 

He was with Peter when the women came on 
that first Easter morning to bring the joyful 
tidings of Christ's resurrection. He outran 
Peter in his haste to reach the tomb, and see 
for himself that the Lord was risen indeed. 

John was with the apostles who gathered in 
the upper room at Jerusalem, and he was one 
of the earnest workers who preached Jesus so 



JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE 361 

faithfully that a church of many thousands was 
soon formed in Jerusalem. 

He was with Peter when the lame man was 
made whole at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, 
and as he lived in Jerusalem for many years, we 
may think of him as often performing miracles 
himself, and leading many in the Holy City to 
believe in Jesus. 

John was not driven away from his work 
even by the persecution which raged in Jerusa- 
lem. When Saul of Tarsus was entering the 
house of every Christian there, he, with others 
of the apostles, remained and faced the danger. 

In the persecution that was ordered by King 
Herod Agrippa, John met with a sad loss, for 
his brother James was among the killed. 

We learn that after many years John went to 
live in Ephesus, and there, under the dreadful 
persecutions of the Christians, by the Roman 
emperor Domitian, tradition says he was taken 
to be punished, but was afterward banished to 
the island of Patmos. While there he saw 
many wonderful visions of the glory of heaven ; 
and he wrote an account of them which we read 
in the last book of the Bible, which is called 
the Revelation of St. John. He writes to the 
churches in Asia of what he saw in these 
visions, and begins by saying, " I John, your 



362 BIBLE STORIES 

brother and partaker with you in the tribulation 
and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, 
was on the isle that is called Patmos, for the 
word of God and for the testimony of Jesus. I 
was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard 
behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet say- 
ing. What thou seest, write in a book, and 
send it to the seven churches. And I turned 
to see the voice which spake with me. And 
' having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks ; 
and in the midst of the candlesticks one like 
unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment 
down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts 
wdth a golden girdle. 

"And his head and his hair were white as 
white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were 
as a flame of fire ; and his feet like unto bur- 
nished brass, as if it had been refined in a 
furnace ; and his voice as the voice of many 
waters. And he had in his right hand seven 
stars ; and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp 
two-edged sword. And his countenance was as 
the sun shineth in his strength. And when I 
saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he 
laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not ; 
I am the first and the last, and the Living one ; 
and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever- 
more, and I have the keys of death and of H-ides. 



JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE 363 

Write therefore the things which thou sawest 
and the things which are, and the things which 
shall come to pass hereafter." 

A special message seems to have been given 
John to each of the seven churches of Asia, that 
are spoken of, and then he goes on to tell of the 
wonderful things which he saw in his vision. 

At one time he writes that he "saw a door 
opened in heaven, and behold, there was a throne 
set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne, 
and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper 
stone and a sardius : and there was a rainbow^, 
round about the throne like an emerald to look 
upon. And round about the throne were four 
and twenty thrones. And upon the thrones I 
saw four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in 
white garments; and on their heads crowns of 
gold." 

And later John tells us that he heard a voice 
of many angels round about the throne, and the 
living creatures and the elders : and the number 
of them was ten thousand times ten thousand 
and thousands of thousands : saying with a 
great voice, " Worthy is the Lamb to receive 
the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, 
and honor, and glory, and blessing." 

And afterward John writes : " I saw, and 
bel'old, a great multitude, which no man could 



364 BIBLE STORIES 

number, out of every nation, and of all tribes and 
peoples and tongues, standing before the throne 
and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, 
and palms in their hands ; and they cry with a 
great voice, saying Salvation unto our God 
which sitteth on the throne and unto the Lamb. 

" And one of the elders answered, saying unto 
me. These which are arrayed in the white robes, 
who are they, and whence came they? And 
I say unto him. My lord, thou knowest. And 
he said unto me. These are they which come 
out of the great tribulation, and they washed 
their robes, and made them white in the blood 
of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the 
throne of God ; and they serve him day and 
night in his temple : and he that sitteth on 
the throne shall spread his tabernacle over 
them. They shall hunger no more, neither 
thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike 
upon them, nor any heat : for the Lamb which 
is in the midst of the throne shall be their 
shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains 
of waters of life: and God shall wipe away 
every tear from their eyes." 

And then John was permitted to hear the 
glorious music of heaven and the songs of the 
redeemed. He says, " I heard as it were the 
voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of 



JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE 365 

many waters, and as the voice of mighty 
thunders, saying. Hallelujah : for the Lord our 
God, the Almighty, reigneth!" 

And then John saw in his vision the holy 
city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of 
heaven from God. The foundations of its walls 
were precious stones, and the twelve gates were 
twelve pearls ; the streets of the city were of 
pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 

And John said : " I saw no temple therein : 
for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, 
are the temple thereof. And the city hath no 
need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine 
upon it : for the glory of God did lighten it, 
and the lamp thereof is the Lamb." "And he 
showed me a pure river of water of life, bright 
as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God 
and of the Lamb, in the midst of the street 
thereof. And on this side of the river and on 
that was the tree of life, bearing twelve man- 
ner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month : 
and the leaves of the tree were for the healing 
of the nations. 

" And there shall be no curse any more : and 
the throne of God and the Lamb shall be 
therein : and his servants shall do him service ; 
and they shall see his face ; and his name shall 
be in their foreheads. 



366 BIBLE STOKIES 

" And there shall be night no more : and they 
need no light of lamp, neither light of sun ; for 
the Lord God shall give them light: and they 
shall reign forever and ever." 

This is indeed a wonderful revelation of the 
glories of heaven, and of the beautiful life of 
those who dwell there. And all this was seen by 
John when he was an exiled prisoner in Patmos. 

On the accession of the Roman emperor 
Nerva, John, it is thought, returned to Ephesus, 
as the persecution was ended, and there was 
now no danger of his life. He lived to a great 
age, and to the last he was reverenced and 
loved by all. He was the only one of the 
twelve apostles who died a natural death; all 
the others became martyrs in the cause of their 
Master. 

In the last years, John often gathered his 
friends about him, calling them his children. 
At one time he wrote, " Greater joy have I none 
than this, to hear of my children walking in the 
truth." He wanted them all to live in peace and 
harmony with one another, and he always spoke 
tenderly of God's love to them. And so when 
he became too feeble to preach, this became 
almost his only message to his people, '^ Little 
children, love one another." 



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